My first watch was a Swiss analog watch from an unknown brand1.\nIt was given to me by my parents and had a Hilti logo on it.\nThey most likely got it for free when they bought something.
\nBy the time it finally broke, smartphones were gaining popularity.\nI was using an LG Cookie (and later an iPhone 3G) at that time.\nIt didn't make much sense to spend extra money on a watch when I could see the time on my phone.\nI always missed the ease of seeing the time on my wrist, though.\nFor the years to come, I caught myself peeking at the place where the watch used to be.
\nShortly after I started working at OpenMinds in 2015, a few coworkers were talking about the Pebble.\nAs an early smartwatch, it was able to display text messages on your wrist.\nWe were required to respond to automated texts sent by our monitoring system during after-hours on-call shifts.\nIt made sense to wear a watch again, so I ordered the Pebble Time Steel in early 2016.
\nPebble went bankrupt near the end of 2016.\nTheir Android app and servers kept working until a few years later.\nThe watch became useless and disappeared into a drawer.\nAnother seven years glancing at an empty spot on my wrist ensued.
\nThen in 2023 I bought the Casio GW-5000U-1ER.\nIt's the best watch I've ever worn; it does almost exactly what I want it to do and nothing else.
\nBasically, I can wear it all the time and not care about it.
\nExcitingly, in 2025, Eric Migicovsky brought Pebble back!\nThey released the Pebble app again and included support for their old watches.\nAfter all this time, my old Pebble Time Steel still managed to work for more than a week on a charge.\n(Modern smartwatches usually last a few days; it's sad, really.)
\nI pre-ordered a Pebble Time 2, they shipped it in May 2026.\nIt was great! Bigger screen, better battery, and an open-source Android app.\nI could read my messages on my wrist again.\nIt included more advanced health tracking.\nHeart rate monitoring in addition to the existing step counter.\nI wrote my own personal watchface.\nLife was great.
\nIn the summer of 2026 I started swimming again.\nThe Pebble Time 2 has a microphone and a speaker.\nHoles in the enclosure that make it harder to keep water out.\nIt's rated as water resistant up to 3 BAR (or 30m).\nI don't swim 30m underwater, obviously, but that rating is only correct if nothing moves.\nJumping into the pool creates much higher pressure than the watch simply lying in the water.\nThat makes swimming with the watch risky.\nIt could be perfectly fine, but it's not as worry-free as the Casio.
\nSo I took my Pebble off and switched to the Casio, then switched back when I got back home.
\nBut why would I switch back to the Pebble?\nI have checked the health graphs a few times when it was new, but don't really care about them now.\nGetting messages on the watch is great, but I then have to take my phone out to reply.\nIt does support replying by voice, but I don't feel like talking to my watch in public.
\nThe only feature I do actually use is the vibrating alarm, using that means I have to wear my watch at night.\nI find that to be slightly uncomfortable.\n(Wearing it at night also gives me sleep tracking, which is more data I don't really use either..)
\nSo I am wearing my trusty Casio GW-5000U-1ER again.\nI didn't have to charge it; I didn't have to connect it.\nIt was just lying there, ready to show me the time.\nIt's amazing.
\nApparently "Swiss-Made" was more important to engrave than the manufacturer. ↩
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