Worn & Wound
Ianos Introduces the Amfivios, a Civilian Version of their Military Issued Dive Watch
We’ve been saying it for years, but one of the things that makes the microbrand and small independent scene so exciting is that there is truly a watch for everyone. It’s a playing field that allows makers to be incredibly obscure, follow their own strange and otherwise hard to understand impulses, and bring watches to market that simply wouldn’t exist without that individual jolt of creativity. Ianos is a great example. This is a brand that exists to explore Greek diving culture (which has a rich history) and has built a design language around traditionally Greek motifs that simply don’t exist elsewhere in watchmaking. It doesn’t really get more niche than that. Their latest watch, the Amfivios, comes on the heels of an Ianos that couldn’t be purchased by a normal civilian enthusiast. The OYK, introduced last year, was the by the brand’s account the first Greek-designed watch ever commissioned for a military unit. The watch was made in small numbers for active members of the Underwater Demolition Command unit, and presented to that unit by Greece’s Prime Minister. It was an important moment for the brand, and naturally when word spread of the OYK’s existence, Ianos loyalists and other collectors began to request a version of the watch they could own themselves. The new Amfivios, like the Oyk, is built on the same platform as the Dytis, which we covered here. The Dytis is really an exercise in style and design, though, whereas the Amfivios is more of a...