THAT IS THE QUESTION

When I started Ianos, one of the few things I was sure of was that I wanted to tell stories through watchmaking, with the goal of producing a collection that could ultimately be viewed as a watchmaking book, so to speak, of stories being told through watches, so that, down the line, you could look back to each watch and immediately recall the stories they were based on, simply by looking at their design. It is this idea that has guided me throughout the research and design process of the watches and I am glad to see our clients fully embracing this concept with unimaginable passion and love.

There are certain consequences to this concept which I would like to elaborate on further here.

In my quest for stories, I find some that will inevitably lead to more element-heavy designs while others may work best with a more subtle representation of the story being told. In my mind, both are worth doing, but each in a different way.

It is my belief that, elaborate stories, while extremely interesting, mostly appeal to a very small, niche audience which means that, due to industry standards regarding production quantities, timelines etc., I have to do my best to ensure that the watches made, are delivered to people who are really captivated by the story, whose character really resonates with them and who see the watches as I do, more as watchmaking tributes to a specific event in history rather than simply another diving watch.

Having completed a design such as this, that is so time consuming and detailed, once it is made and the story has been told, I usually feel that it is unnecessary to continue producing the same design in more quantities when I feel that there is nothing new or different that I could give to the specific story. This happened between the Avyssos and the Mihanikos and will happen again in the future, I am sure, as it is all part of the same process of turning the Ianos book page and beginning the new chapter and the new watch. Additionally, the limited number of watches for these releases makes each watch more important, reflective of the importance of the story being told.

On the other hand, I also believe there is a lot of space for watches to be created that will carry the essence of Ianos’ commitment to storytelling while also being designed to be more widely appreciated by a broader client base, utilizing the design elements found in previous references to create a timeless design that may appeal more to people wanting a more subtly designed watch. As these watches may encompass more than one stories, have a broader inspiration and focus on a theme rather than a story, these may continue to be produced for longer than the limited editions, serving as a gateway to our vision for a broader audience, allowing more people to experience a piece of Greek legacy on their wrists. Of course, these may also end up being “limited” in the sense that even such a design needs to adapt, evolve and develop to the point where the original design has ceased being, although never actually named a limited edition.

In any case, I believe that whether you’re drawn to the exclusive, detailed stories of our limited editions like the Avyssos or Mihanikos, or prefer the timeless versatility of our non-limited editions, there will always be an Ianos watch that will speak to you, each watch embodying the spirit of Greek history and heritage and the passion we pour into every detail, allowing you to carry a part of these incredible stories wherever you go.