As a consumer tech writer/reviewer, I’m privileged to have access to numerous smartwatches at any given time — often flagship, high-end ones, too. Right now, I’m wearing the excellent OnePlus Watch 3. Before that, I was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2. I also have the Google Pixel Watch 3, a couple of Garmin watches, and some Amazfit ones, too.
Suffice it to say that I don’t need any more smartwatches; I have some of the best models you can buy in 2025. But even so, I just spent $225 on one that’s objectively worse than all of the competition.
The smartwatch in question is the Core Time 2, which, for all intents and purposes, is a resurrected Pebble Time 2. Pebble’s founder and former CEO, Eric Migicovsky, recently launched a new company called Core Devices — and its first two products are smartwatches running PebbleOS. While they aren’t branded as Pebble watches, that’s essentially what they are. They have e-paper screens, run the same Pebble software as your old Pebble did, and are fully compatible with the 10,000+ watch faces and apps that still exist for the Pebble software.
On paper, the Core Time 2 doesn’t seem all that impressive. Its display tech pales in comparison to modern smartwatches; its health-tracking features are extremely barebones, and the design looks like it’s straight out of 2017 — because it basically is. Even so, I still bought one, and I’m counting down the days for it to get here.
Did you own a Pebble watch?
6 votes
I love what the Core Time 2 isn’t
When I say that the Core Time 2 is “old” and “outdated,” I’m not saying that just for the sake of it. Look at the spec sheet, and you’ll see what I mean. The Core Time 2 has:
- 1.56-inch e-paper screen (200 x 228 pixels)
- Microphone and speaker
- Heart rate sensor
- Step and sleep tracking
- IPX8 rating (targeted)
- 30-day battery life
Outside of the 30-day battery life claim, nothing else is noteworthy. There’s no Google app support, no ECG or SpO2 monitoring, no NFC chip for mobile payments, and the e-paper display and resolution pale in comparison to OLED panels used on most modern smartwatches today. And while the Core Time 2 isn’t outrageously expensive at $225, it’s not much cheaper than a $300 Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 — a watch that’s better and more feature-rich than the Core Time 2 in almost every conceivable way.
Given all of that, why did I waste my money on the Core Time 2? Why are we even talking about it? Because its limited and outdated specs are precisely why I bought one.
The Core Time 2 isn’t trying to replace your Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch. That’s perfectly evident not just from the spec sheet but from Migicovsky himself — writing on his blog that you shouldn’t buy the Core Time 2 if you need a polished smartwatch, are looking for a proper fitness watch, or are comparing it to the Apple Watch. He notes that “these watches are not made for everyone.”
Core Time 2 (left) and Core 2 Duo (right)
Not every smartwatch needs to be a smartwatch to end all smartwatches. There’s room for something like the Core Time 2 and Core 2 Duo with a handful of specific goals. In the case of the new Core watches, they’re striving to be smartwatches with an always-on e-paper display, great battery life, a simple design, physical buttons, and full hack-ability.
While I could take or leave the hackable stuff, I’m sold on everything else. As much as I enjoy my colorful OLED screens, my eyes vastly prefer e-paper ones. While the 4-day battery life on my OnePlus Watch 3 is great, the Core Time 2’s 30-day battery life is just ridiculous in the best way possible. And while the design may not be modern, it’s cozy, retro, and familiar in a way I adore. And it’s that last point that really drove my purchase decision.
The nostalgia factor
Original Pebble.
There’s another reason behind my purchase, and it’s a very personal one: nostalgia.
I owned the original Pebble in 2013, the Pebble Steel in 2014, and the Pebble Time Round in 2015. I also fully intended to buy a Pebble Time 2, right up until Fitbit bought Pebble and scrapped the smartwatch altogether. In other words, I’ve been a fan of Pebble for a long time.
I say that to make it clear I have a strong personal connection to the brand and what the Core Time 2 represents. If you also owned a Pebble, you probably feel similarly about these new Core watches. While I have no doubt the nostalgia makes it easier to overlook some of the Core Time 2’s shortcomings, it’s also a nice perk in itself.
I have a strong personal connection to what the Core Time 2 represents.
As much as I enjoy using the OnePlus Watch 3 or the Apple Watch Ultra 2, I don’t have any personal connection to them. They’re objectively great wearables, but at the end of the day, they’re both just wrist computers.
That’s technically all the Core Time 2 is as well, but looking at the watch online, I’m immediately taken back to my days in high school when I had my original Pebble watches. It’s a feeling I don’t get with any of my other smartwatches, and as personal and subjective as it may be, it’s a feeling I can’t help but love.
Fun and charming software
Music playback on the Pebble Time.
Similar to the nostalgia element, there’s another point I keep coming back to. One of the main reasons I enjoyed using my old Pebble watches is because of how fun they were. It may sound silly, but the heart and personality of PebbleOS remain unmatched compared to every other modern smartwatch operating system.
When you received a text notification, there was a floating bottle icon above it — as if you had just received a message in a bottle from the ocean. When you replied to a message, a tiny paper airplane flew off into the distance. There were also whimsical animations for the weather, alarms, music playback control, and more.
Pebble Time Round.
Admittedly, these are all small touches. Yet, they’re things I distinctly remember. The software gave Pebble watches a wholly unique identity and an undeniable sense of fun, and here in 2025, that’s something noticeably absent on watches from Google, Samsung, OnePlus, etc.
Will I get annoyed with the lesser pixel density once I see the Core Time 2 in person? Maybe. Will it be difficult to adjust to the (almost certainly) slower processor? Absolutely. But the second I see that bottle or paper airplane again, I have a feeling I won’t care about those things at all.
We need more quirky gadgets
I didn’t buy the Core Time 2 just for its e-ink display. I didn’t buy it for the retro design or the month-long battery life. I spent $225 on the Core Time 2 ($235 after shipping) because it’s a cool gadget.
That’s something we’re sorely missing with wearables (and consumer tech, in general) these days. Not every smartwatch needs to be a jack-of-all-trades. Not every new wearable needs to compete with the Apple Watches or Galaxy Watches of the world. There’s room for more niche offerings like the Core Time 2 and Core 2 Duo. They don’t have to be for everyone. They don’t have to check every single box.
I pre-ordered a Core Time 2 specifically because it’ll offer a different experience from my other smartwatches. There’s value in gadgets being different and quirky. That’s why Core Devices got my money, and I hope it’s something other brands recognize and take note of.
