I never cease to marvel at the odd things that influence watch design. Aspiring watchmakers have found their muse in a multitude of objects, activities, and animals. If you are an entomologist or just a really quick Googler, you already know that the Biotic Formicidae I am reviewing today was inspired by … ants. This, my friends, gives me pause because, for as much as I love watches, I hate ants.
Let me be very clear about this. I don’t just consider ants to be household pests. I don’t merely find them repugnant and wish them to remain in their own habitat far from my own (that’s how I feel about monkeys). No, it’s more than that. It’s personal. I hate them with a bitter, burning passion. When I see them near my home, I embark on a campaign of chemical warfare intended to destroy their colony from within and I pray that when their underground metropolis collapses, its death spiral will be so horrific that it becomes a nightmarish ant legend. My hatred comes from my heart, my soul, and my bones. Believe me when I tell you that any watch paying tribute to those evil little, six-legged bastards had better be a damn good one.
Well, the Biotic Formicidae is pretty damn good.
First and foremost, this internal-bezel field watch wisely steers clear of anything overtly anty like an ant logo on the dial or antennae sticking out the top of the case. It does have an ant on the sapphire display case back, but I approve of him for reasons I’ll explain soon. There is nothing overtly insectile about the watch. It just looks weirdly handsome. I say weirdly because of the 9 and 3 dual crown arrangement. he Formicidae is 39mm wide (not including the crowns), 47mm long, and 12mm thick. These are pleasing proportions that sit rather well on my 6.75″ wrist.
If you are looking for some ant shapes, they are in there. The crowns might remind you of the eyes on either side of an ant’s face, and you might detect some ant mandible in the lugs, but that is about as far as it goes. If you didn’t know the backstory, you probably wouldn’t pick up on it. Instead, you would likely notice that the crowns are octagonal, nicely signed, and screw down to prevent the inner compass bezel from slipping (Hey Seiko! You taking notes?) and to seal the watch for a useful 200m water resistance. You would also admire the long, deep scallops that extend right down the curved lugs and echo the concave bezel.
This is a pretty case, but not too pretty. Brushed and satin finishes remind you that it is a tool watch and those crowns are mighty long, about 4mm or so. I realize that they are a signature feature, but they are maybe a touch too pronounced for my liking. I think they could be considerably shortened without any loss of grip and doing so would tighten up the lines considerably.
The watch comes on a very nice H-link bracelet that tapers from 20mm to 18mm. The end links are solid and fitted with quick-release pins. Sizing is accomplished with screws. If you decide to pop it onto a strap instead, drilled lugs will make that job easier. It finishes with a signed, push-bu ton clasp.
Good as it looks, the real bonus is on the inside, where a small catch releases a ratcheting extension.
The dial is wonderfully detailed in terms of delineation on the compass bezel and index. The hour marker are quite small, really only obvious where the longer batons at 12, 3, and 9 cut into the raised center section. This leaves the bulk of the dial open, allowing its shape and color to take center stage. My review sample was the red Fire model that displayed a lovely ombré on its sunray pie pan dial. Black, brown, and a particularly lovely shade of green are also available. Dial text is kept to a bare minimum; just the “Biotic” brand up top and “Formicidae” discreetly scrawled in a handwritten typeface below.
Want lume? Of course you do. I’m pleased to report that the Formicidae has it on the hands, markers, and bezel. It looks like C3 and BGW9. Very nice to see the compass points lit up because if I ever get lost in the wilderness, chances are it will be in the dark.
You will find just one ant on the watch. It is printed on the tinted sapphire case back and while you might expect me to rail at its very existence, I’m cool with it. The insect in question is a comic book adventurer ant who would be more at home on the cover of Amazing Stories or Heavy Metal than infesting a damp corner of your garage. The image almost completely obscures the movement, but really, have you never seen a Miyota 9015 before? It’s a quality automatic with 24 jewels and a 28.8k bph sweep, but it’s hardly much of a looker.
So, is the Biotic Formicidae good enough to make me forgive its ant associations? Yes, it is. Had I not looked up the word “Formicidae” I would have simply enjoyed the Biotic as a capable field watch with an appealing case and bracelet, uncommonly pretty dial, and slightly oddball crowns. It’s only that last part that I think could benefit from a change. Shaving a millimeter or so off of each would retain the look Biotic was going for while toning down its current handlebar appearance.
Biotic ant-icipates (I can’t help myself) a June 2022 Kickstarter release with Early Bird rewards starting at $399 and a post-preorder list price of $599. In the meantime, head over to BioticWatches.com to get more information and sign up for alerts.
