A Deep Dive Into Ianos: How A Greek Microbrand Became 2025’s Most Wanted

Microbrands are a phenomenon. Their rapid ground gaining competence and drop-culture affinity is literally impossible for “big brands” to compete with. They operate more freely and are usually largely praised by collector communities, for there’s a greater level of consumer involvement at every stage of the inception, both of the brand and its products as well.

Ianos Mihanikos, released in 2021.

So, we can say that a watch from a microbrand serves unique rewards.

When a microbrand carefully distills the best of features and tech in its offerings, leveraged by a near-nil legacy content, the end-result finds a favorable scope of likeability. As there’s very little to none material that occurs as a creative constraint, which tends to be limiting, microbrands in a sense are very liberal in how and what they execute.

One brand favoring a design-forward approach and blanketing the same in a rarely-known Greek diving culture is Ianos. Such a mash-up of creative and genesic philosophies is rare to come by and has been tastefully morphed by the brand’s founder Jacob Hatzidimitriou.

The Beginnings

Ianos was founded with a very strong focus on a Greek narrative. In its inception, the story was put above specs and the inspiration from Greek history, tradition and legacy made the center stage of its opus. In 2015 and without any former and formal experience in watchmaking, Jacob, a lawyer by trade, decided to materialize his thoughts about creating a high-quality watch with a dominantly Greek inspiration.

The hustle paid off and in 2019, the brand offered its first watch on Kickstarter. In Ianos, Jacob found a perfect vehicle to communicate Greek legacy and history as a wearable piece of mechanical art. The deliberate inclusion of features that resonate a Greek narrative in the brand’s offerings, which now extend to a dive watch trilogy, sets Ianos apart from other microbrands.

The Name

In the search for a name that honored both Greek heritage and a vision for thoughtful watchmaking, Jacob found “Ianos.” As the Greek name for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, looking simultaneously to the past and future, Ianos draws inspiration from history to yield thoughtful modern design. Ianos found its genesis as an objective to fill a void created by the underrepresented Greek legacy in the watch industry.

It offers unique products that weave legendary Greek stories into refined, high-quality watches. The brand marries profound inspiration with contemporary artistry, creating a meaningful connection with every wearer.

The Releases

The offerings at Ianos follow a familiar silhouette of a dive watch dressed in visual elements that pay homage to Greek tradition and culture. Greece has an interesting oceanic heritage. From the lost city of Atlantis to the traditional diving for sponges, there’s an inextricable essence of the ocean. So, the trilogy of dive watches finds a meaningful lodging within the portfolios of Ianos.

While the catalog is deliberately small, it isn’t lacking in competence. The chronology of creations at Ianos traces a path from the debutant “Avyssos” of 2019 to the “Mihanikos” of 2021, and the trilogy is accomplished with the “Dytis” of 2025.

From ancient tributes to modern symbolism, the watchmaker Ianos has carved a niche by blending robust technicality with Greek heritage.

Avyssos

The debut Avyssos (“Abyss”) honors Greece’s legendary sponge divers. Its dial features hour markers shaped like the weighted stones (kampanelopetra) used for descent, while a small-seconds indicator draws inspiration from the ancient Antikythera mechanism. This robust 300m diver, powered by a manual-wind movement, established the brand's signature fusion of profound storytelling and technical utility.

Mihanikos

Reflecting the era of industrial diving, the Mihanikos captures a rugged, utilitarian aesthetic. Its design echoes deep-sea diving helmets with a wide, porthole-style bezel, and a small-seconds disc that mimics an air-pump gauge. Housing an automatic movement, this watch is engraved with a poignant diver’s lyric, connecting its robust functionality to a rich cultural narrative.

Dytis

The Dytis refines the formula into a modern, lightweight titanium diver. At 41mm, it maintains a 300m water resistance while its blue-and-white dial honors the Greek flag. A unique small-seconds disc doubles as a protective “evil eye” symbol. Its selection by Greece’s elite Underwater Demolition Teams certifies its status as a tool watch embodying modern Greek pride.

The Objective

Unlike the many micros operating in a niche segment of the watchmaking industry, seeking a past inspiration from early creations isn’t an evident trend at Ianos. The brand is all about authenticity and the passion of storytelling through quality timepieces.

Ianos chases enduring value for its customers and attains the same through genuine narratives of Greek culture and exacting standards of horological execution.