Pebble reveals Time 2’s refreshed metal design, shares specifics about the display

The beloved barebones Pebble smart fitness trackers are set for a comeback in 2025 after more than eight years of being discontinued. Back in January this year, Pebble’s founder and ex-CEO Eric Migicovsky announced his plans to revive the lineup, and followed it up with revealing prototypes for two watches — Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 — later in March. These watches offer up to 30 days of battery backup and run an open source version of Pebble OS.

Now, Migicovsky shared a couple of updates regarding these watches on the third episode of his podcast, Tick Talk, which is specifically about updates on the Pebble OS watches. First, the parent company, Core Devices, has been able to re-acquire the Pebble trademark and will now be able to sell with that name. This was already announced on a blog in July and was reiterated in the video today.

So, the previously announced watches will sell as “Pebble 2 Duo” and “Pebble Time 2.” While “Core” is likely to remain part of the company’s identity, we aren’t sure if these watches — and the newer ones launched in the series — will be branded as Core Pebble or just Pebble.

The second and more important update is regarding the design of the Pebble Time 2 (previously Core Time 2). Migicovsky revealed the near-final design of Pebble Time 2 and shared other details about the display and other components.

Inspired by the original Pebble Time Steel, the reincarnated version comes with an all-metal chassis made of stainless steel. Contrary to the design teased back in March, the Time 2 does not feature a rectangular dial but instead has subtle curves along the left and right side edges. There are four buttons along the periphery — three on one side and one on the other, just like the plastic Pebble 2 Duo, but they also come with a checker plate pattern engraved on the buttons for a more tactile sensation.

The Pebble Time 2 comes in two color options, including silver and black, both with the same brushed metal finish on the part of the dial that’s visible from the top. A third color was also promised back in March, but Migicovsky has now said there will be two more colors. While refraining from sharing any concrete details, he hinted that there could be a red or a blue insert between the upper and the lower metal plates. The watch uses a standard 22mm lug so you can choose from a variety of generic watch bands, alongside those available with the older Pebble watches.

The display on the new Time 2 has previously been confirmed to be a nearly-square 1.5-inch e-paper display with support for 64 colors. While the colors are expected to appear muted, the team has been able to use multi-colored LED as the backlight source for the display, which could be used to tweak the color temperature of the display or enable a warm tone for the night.

The top glass is set to be flat, which, as per Migicovsky, should help reduce reflections from light sources. The display is also supposed to support touch, but the team appears to have yet to figure that out. Meanwhile, we have already seen what the charger for the two Pebble watches could look like.

Additionally, Migicovsky has spoken about adding a compass to the Pebble Time 2. It has previously been confirmed to offer a six-axis gyroscope as the Pebble 2 Duo (erstwhile Core 2 Duo), but the latter also gets a barometer that the Time 2 seemingly lacks. Since it’s still a work-in-progress and not expected to arrive before December, we might hear about some changes over the coming months.

If you wish to grab one, you can pre-order a Pebble Time 2 at the brand’s online store, though beware that current orders won’t start shipping before January 2026.

Finally, while the alpha-stage backers have started to receive their Pebble 2 Duo units, Migicovsky said last month that the devices have yet to go into mass production, and the brand is now looking to start shipping from the end of August, accounting for testing for a better IP rating. However, we could still encounter some delays in the actual shipping schedule.