It looks like a Pebble, it works like a Pebble, but don\u2019t call it a Pebble. Eric Migicovsky, the original creator of the Pebble smartwatch, just unveiled<\/a> two new smartwatches \u2014 called the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2. <\/p>\n These spiritual successors to the Pebble smartwatches are available<\/a> for pre-order, costing $149 and $225 respectively.<\/p>\n If you aren\u2019t familiar with Pebble, the Palo Alto-based startup was one of the first breakthrough successes of the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform \u2014 all the way back in 2012<\/a>. The company created smartwatches before the Apple Watch and Android-based smartwatches existed.<\/p>\n While Pebble managed to sell over two million devices, the company abruptly closed in 2016<\/a>. After an insolvency process, what was left was acquired by rival Fitbit (now a division of Google<\/a>, of course).<\/p>\n Fast forward to 2024, Migicovsky had a bold idea<\/a>: what if we could go back to those simpler times and simpler tech devices? What if we could bring back the spirit of the Pebble?<\/p>\n Google has been surprisingly helpful in this process as the tech giant is open-sourcing PebbleOS, the operating system that powered the original Pebble smartwatches.<\/p>\n While Google acquired Fitbit<\/a> a few years after Fitbit acquired Pebble\u2019s assets, it turns out that Pebble\u2019s IP wasn\u2019t worth much to Google, so the company decided to give it back to the community of Pebble enthusiasts.<\/p>\n Now, Core Devices, Migicovsky\u2019s new company, has unveiled two new smartwatches that will run PebbleOS. <\/p>\n The Core 2 Duo is essentially a new Pebble 2 running the original Pebble software.<\/p>\n It has an always-on E Ink display with a few buttons on the side of the device. Compared to other 2025 smartwatches, it\u2019s pretty basic. That E Ink screen is a non-touch, black-and-white display. But the smartwatch supports alarms and timers \u2014 groundbreaking, I know.<\/p>\n The wearable pairs with your phone using Bluetooth so that it can display notifications and connect to the internet. You can also control the music on your phone thanks to the Bluetooth connection.<\/p>\n But the two things that made the Pebble stand out from its successors are still true today. First, the battery life is excellent. The company promises up to 30 days of battery life. Second, it\u2019s a fun, hackable device. There are thousands of watchfaces<\/a> and it\u2019s easy to create small apps for the device.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project is a labour of love rather than a startup trying to sell millions of watches,\u201d Migicovsky wrote<\/a> in a blog post announcing the devices. \u201cThere may be some rough edges (literally). Things will get delayed. Some features will not be ready at launch. Things could break. Things could not last as long as you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing we can guarantee is that it will be awesome and a lot of fun! Every time you look down at your watch, you will smile \ud83d\ude42,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The other smartwatch Migicovsky\u2019s company announced today, the Core Time 2, essentially shares the same specifications as the Core 2 Duo, but it has a bigger, 64-color display in a metal casing. It\u2019s also a touch display, but Pebble apps don\u2019t support touch interactions for now.<\/p>\n Migicovsky says shipments for the Core 2 Duo should start in July. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/introducing-two-new-pebbleos-watches-3-f57e25fb-a9f2-4586-b3e4-cae8a5c6b8e2.png?w=680\")