Pebble regains trademark rights, will re-make smartwatches

The founder of the once iconic Pebble brand, Eric Migicovsky, announced that he had regained the rights to the trademark and would soon introduce a new smartwatch under the old name. In early 2025, he founded Core Devices, which began developing new devices with e-ink screens in the spirit of the original Pebble. Now the models previously known as Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 will be released under the names Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2.

The History of Pebble: From Kickstarter to Open Source

Pebble started out in 2012 as a small startup, but quickly became a pioneer in the smartwatch market thanks to the idea of using e-ink screens. Pebble gadgets were lightweight, autonomous, and significantly ahead of their time – even before the Apple Watch hit the market.

However, in 2016, the company sold its assets to Fitbit for $23 million, and the brand was officially closed. In 2021, Fitbit was bought by Google, and in January 2025, Eric managed to convince Google to open the source code of PebbleOS.

On this basis, he founded Core Devices and began creating new watches with an open operating system. Now he has managed to restore the rights to the Pebble brand, which paves the way for a full return of the brand.

What’s next?

The official announcement of two new models under the Pebble brand is expected in the coming weeks. The devices will be called Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2, and will be aimed at those who value minimalism, autonomy and readable displays.

However, the wearable electronics market is extremely saturated today – from Apple and Garmin to many Chinese brands in any price segment. It will be almost impossible for Pebble to regain its former positions. But new competition can only benefit users – especially those who missed the simplicity and efficiency of the first Pebble.