Furlan Marri has been a brand I’ve kept at arm’s length for a while now. The hype cycle hit fast after their 2021 launch, and when you start seeing limited releases getting flipped on the secondary market before people even have them in hand, it does something to your enthusiasm. That’s not the brand’s fault, necessarily, but it colors the way you approach everything they put out. So when the Meteorite Octa showed up in my feed, I wasn’t expecting much beyond another well-proportioned mechaquartz in a nice colorway. But this is hot. Damn hot.
The new Furlan Marri Meteorite Octa takes the brand’s familiar twin-register chronograph format and fits it with a dial cut from the Muonionalusta meteorite, a specimen discovered in Sweden in 1906 and estimated to be roughly 4.5 billion years old. Each dial displays what are known as Widmanstätten patterns, crystalline structures revealed through polishing or chemical treatment that are unique to every slice. You can’t reproduce these patterns artificially. It sounds like marketing copy until you actually see what the material does with light.
The case itself stays true to what Furlan Marri has been doing well. It measures 38mm in diameter, 12mm thick including the domed sapphire crystal, and 46mm lug to lug. That’s a compact, vintage-correct footprint in 316L stainless steel, and the finishing reportedly includes satin brushing, polishing, and deep embossing across the case surfaces. A screw-down decagonal caseback and 50 meters of water resistance round out the functional side of things. For a watch built to evoke 1940s chronograph design, the practical concessions to modern life are welcome.
The dial uses a sandwich construction with applied polished Roman numerals, curved polished hands, and a domed outer ring carrying a pulsometer scale. Legibility with meteorite dials is always a fair question, and while I haven’t handled this one yet, the double-printed indications and contrast from the applied elements seem like they should help. I’d want to see it in person before making any real call on that.
Powering the watch is the Seiko VK64, a hybrid movement that pairs a quartz base with a mechanical chronograph module. It’s accurate to within 20 seconds per month and offers around three years of battery life under normal use. The chronograph pushers should deliver the satisfying mechanical feel that’s made this movement a popular choice in the microbrand space, and the sweep of the chronograph seconds hand looks the part, I’m sure. Two leather straps are included, one black textured and one smooth white, both with quick-release spring bars.
Pricing lands at CHF 720, available exclusively during a pre-order window from April 10 to 20. Furlan Marri says this model won’t be reproduced after the initial run. That language always raises my antenna a bit, but I’ll take it at face value for now.
Here’s where I land. This is the first Furlan Marri release that caught my attention on its own merits, not because of the hype, not because of scarcity, but because the combination of that meteorite dial and the brand’s already solid case architecture feels like a real step forward. Whether it signals a broader shift for the brand or just a one-off moment, I’m not sure yet. But I’ll be paying closer attention from here.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.