• 100 Tabs Open
  • Posts
  • 002 - It's time! Pebble watches are really back!

002 - It's time! Pebble watches are really back!

Eric Migicovsky has announced new Pebble watches -- which are upgraded versions of the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2.

Author

Joel Tan
March 19, 2025 • This tab will take 3 minutes

This is pretty historic, as Pebble was the first smartwatch in the world, long before the likes of Apple and Samsung decided to get into this market. I've always had a soft spot for it as the product was built with the right intentions -- to reduce distractions and only retrieve important ones. Very similar to what iPhone's focus mode, but this was a decade ago!

I own a Pebble Time and still do! Every once in a while, thanks to the Rebble community I'd fire it up from time to time and get all nostalgic.

the ever iconic Pebble Time box.

In case it wasn't clear, here's a super summarised timeline:

  • 2013 - Pebble launched first smartwatch in the world.

  • 2015 - Pebble Time topped Kickstarter's most launched product (no2 to date).

  • 2017 - Pebble Time 2 was announced; but Pebble later sold to Fitbit - $23mil. RIP Pebble.

  • 2021 - Fitbit was sold to Google - $2.1bil.

  • 2025 - Google made PebbleOS open source - with Eric (and community) leading the charge. and this enabled Eric to introduce the new Duo watches - do-over of the Pebble 2 / Time 2!

Eric Migicovsky has announced 2 new Pebble watches -- which are upgraded versions of the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2.

My thoughts? In general, I’m interested in the Core Time 2, the coloured version.

  1. Always on display and super readable e-paper wearables are back! Yay. 👍️ 

  2. 30 days battery life? wth that’s really good. 👍️👍️ 

  3. The Core Time 2 with colour comes with a touch screen! But really, we know all the fun is in the tactile buttons! 👍️

  4. Metal frame and buttons! 👍️ 

  5. I wish they considered making smaller straps like 20mm instead of 22mm. I’ve gotten used to 20mm that 22mm looks huge now. 👎️ 

  6. Price is so so! USD$149 and USD$225, but you’d have to consider the preorder wait time - July and December. That’s quite a wait! 😐️ 

  7. Heart rate monitor also included - not bad. 👍️ 

Overall, I think this is awesome news and am looking forward to other innovations taking advantage of the open source PebbleOS. I’ve been a long term Oura ring user that I don’t feel the need for a smartwatch anymore these days, but I’d come back to wearing a Pebble for sure.

P.S. Back soon — hopefully not in 3 months 😄 

Edit: Yay Eric noticed my mention.

Reply

or to participate.