This spring, you can now wear an ant farm on your wrist. Hailed as the first-ever living watch, the Ant Watch is a wearable formicarium designed by the Analog Watch Company, a young brand based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The novelty watch does not tell time, instead serving as a portable (and reportedly shake-proof) home for 3-5 harvester ants.
Simple and sustainable, the green and black unisex watch features a plant-based, biodegradable plastic case. The design comes with a case opening tool, a water and sugar solution dropper, nesting sand, care instructions, and one year’s supply of harvester ants, which are shipped in vials every four months.
As males die after mating and queen ants are illegal to ship in the USA, the kit contains just sterile female ants, so they will not reproduce. These worker ants carve the sand into tunnels, creating an organic terrain all their own. In captivity, they feed off of sugar solution one or two times per month and are expected to live 4-6 months. This is comparable to their average lifespan in the wild: a few months to one year.
Though mostly a fun design, the Ant Watch requires occasional maintenance. Despite its youthful appearance, the novelty item is not intended for children, as the insects inside should not be overfed or released. They bite! That said, the Ant Watch is a nice gift for adults who are prepared to handle this little farm with care.
Priced at $59, the Ant Watch is available for pre-order now, and the first shipment goes out in April of this year.
