Hands-On The Ianos Dytis Diver

The Dytis takes the second-generation design from the Ianos Mihanikos and downsizes it to a more wearable 41mm diameter. Made from sandblasted Grade 2 titanium, the Dytis boasts chunky proportions, with a 14.68mm height. However, the short design of the lugs and 49mm lug-to-lug measurement help keep the overall size in check. From a design perspective, a brutalist silhouette and unidirectional "dive bezel" with no markings maintains a minimalist aesthetic, which is softened by the many curved, sloping surfaces and the lyre lugs. While the stippled texture on the bezel is purely decorative, the coining on the edge gives a very usable grip.

Available in either blue or white dial, the design features legible oversized blocks of three-dimensional lume. These luminous elements are plentiful, with the minute indices also applied in the same material to the sloped rehaut. The matte dial creates a nice effect, with shadows forming around all the little blocks in bright light. Of course, if you're expecting Greek motifs like with the last two divers from the brand, it's here in full force on the dial. Clearly, the blue and white colors chosen for these two dial options match the colors of the Greek flag, while the 12-hour marker on the dial features four horizontal lines to represent the lines of the Greek flag. The shape of the other indices, which to someone like me appears to just be designed for legibility, is inspired by Greek diving stones. "Dytis" is spelled out in Greek as the signature on the bottom of the dial, and last but not least, the most defining motif of this model is the "evil eye" disc serving as the small seconds hand. I suppose it's not really that functional, so the best we can call it is a running indicator.

While the bold elements of the dial do well to remain visually front and center, I prefer the seconds indicators found in the Avyssos and Mihanikos. To me, the execution of both previous indicators felt more industrially abstract, grounding the designs back to their tool-watch roots, while the eye feels a little more graphic in execution and a bit more on the nose. Although I can't fault the brand for trying something different with the third model, I would have loved to see some of those previous elements incorporated into this more wearable case size. And while it wasn't an issue on the blue dial, since there is no contrasting outline printed on the dial, to the naked eye, the applied markers on the white dial version seemed ever so misaligned with the printed blue outlines for each. It's not noticeable from afar, but it may be if you are a stickler for perfection, especially at the price of CHF 1,850.

The movement is pretty standard fare for microbrand watches in this segment, with an automatic Sellita SW360 beating inside. With a 42-hour power reserve and frequency of 28,800 VpH, it offers the expected specs from the caliber and features the small seconds layout for that evil eye. There is no exhibition caseback, which makes sense given that the most defining design element of Ianos' watches is located on the back, specifically the built-in strap channel on the caseback. Yes, despite the chunkier 14.68mm case height, the built-in strap channel ensures that the single-pass rubber strap doesn't add to the height of the watch. That means that the case wears extremely close to the wrist, and on my wrist, it felt smaller than similarly specced dive watches I own. 

Despite a few things to nitpick about the dial, one thing I cannot fault this watch for is its extreme comfort while wearing it. The rubber strap is incredibly soft, providing a typical close-fitting experience with a two-piece design. It's a very clever design that I'm surprised more dive watches haven't implemented yet, so Ianos continues to have a leg up on the competition in this regard.

The Ianos Dytis enters a very saturated market space, especially given a broad range of minimalist and brutalist designs well under its price point. But the brand has held steadfast in its design language, and the conclusion in its dive watch series finally brings a much more wearable profile to the series that hopefully bodes well for models going forward. It'll be interesting to see where the brand goes from here, and how it will do to separate itself from its current identity as a dive watch brand in its next phase.

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