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When I met Iakovos Chatzidimitriou, founder and creative force behind Ianos Watches, this past April to see his two new Dytis models, he had a little surprise in store. With a certain sense of ceremony, he took out a leather case, opened it carefully, and revealed a third watch. This one, he told me, was something special, not intended for public release. While its design bore clear resemblance to the Dytis, there were key details that set it apart: a raised bezel, the date at 12 o’clock, and a classic small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, beneath which appeared the letters O.Y.K. (Greek initials for Underwater Demolition Command). Another difference? The color—a deeper, more subdued navy blue, inspired by the Hellenic Navy itself. As Iakovos explained, this model was commissioned by the non-profit Athanassios K. Laskaridis Foundation and is part of a limited run of 300 numbered watches crafted exclusively for members of the DYK—Greece’s own equivalent of the Navy SEALs. The Foundation’s aim was to gift these watches as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for the unit’s vital contribution to national defense.
On the morning of July 8th, in a special honorary ceremony held in Skaramangas, the timepieces were officially presented to their recipients. Among those in attendance was Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who praised the initiative, calling it “a small but tangible expression of gratitude and recognition for the extremely critical and challenging work carried out by perhaps the most elite unit of the Greek Armed Forces.”
As the Prime Minister noted: “The O.Y.K., as they’re known to Greek society, have long been the object of admiration due to the extraordinarily demanding training and trials that candidates must endure to be admitted into this elite force.”
Addressing the uniformed personnel of the unit, he continued: “Mr. and Mrs. Laskaridis chose to honor your remarkable service to the Greek Armed Forces with a symbolic gift: the creation of a custom-designed dive watch by the Greek company IANOS, made in limited numbers. This watch will not be available on the open market. Only you will have it. It is a professional dive watch, a practical expression of gratitude from both the Greek state and the donors for the difficult and high-risk mission you undertake.”
The Prime Minister concluded his speech by thanking “Mrs. and Mr. Laskaridis for their significant and ongoing support of the work carried out by the Greek Armed Forces.”
