Ianos and the Greek Prime Minister honour the country’s most elite naval unit with 300 watches

Russell Sheldrake

That’s right, the small Greek independent brand, Ianos, has just delivered 300 specially made dive watches to the Greek Navy’s Underwater Demolitions Teams (O.Y.K.). The Ianos OYK is a titanium dive watch with 300 metres of water resistance, fixed lugs, and a 120-click countdown bezel, set for the tough missions and operations that this elite unit has to complete. What makes these watches even more special, beyond the insignia found on the dial and caseback, is that they will never be available for sale to the public. This makes these exclusive tokens of gratitude from Ianos to the serving members present and future of the O.Y.K. unit.

We may be used to the term MIL-SPEC, talking about watches that have been issued to troops as part of their standard kit. Once they reach the secondary market, many of these watches are highly sought after. But to have a watch that acts as both a commemorative piece, as well as something that can be used out in the field, is a rare combination.

In a warm-looking ceremony, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, handed out the first batch of Ianos OYK watches to the gathered O.Y.K. serving members. This also marks an incredible moment for Ianos as the very first Greek brand to supply watches to the Greek armed forces, a very special and patriotic moment for the founders.

The Greek Prime Minister (a known watch fan, having sported a Night Surfer on many an occasion, and in this case wearing an Hermès H08) had this to say at the presentation ceremony. “I would say it is symbolic, as it represents a small but tangible expression of gratitude and thanks for the extremely critical and difficult work carried out by perhaps the most elite unit of the Greek Armed Forces. The OYK, as they are known in Greek society, have always been admired for the extremely tough process, an ordeal, that everyone  wishing to join this elite unit must endure.”

It feels natural that Ianos would provide watches to this subaquatic naval unit, as they have set themselves up as a brand that specialises in no-nonsense dive watches that often come with a Greek twist. While they are not going to the lengths of developing and making movements in Greece, opting for trusted Sellita calibres, they keep their Greek identity strong with partnerships such as this, and small design elements that don’t disrupt the tool watch aesthetic, but act as subtle reminders of where they come from.