Given the recent announcement from Eric Migicovsky of the resurrection of the Pebble smartwatch, I wanted to share this little project I completed almost a year ago. The original Pebble cable was USB Type-A only, which, while functional, is not as versatile as the modern USB Type-C. Recognizing the superiority of USB-C, I decided to upgrade my Pebble charging experience.

To achieve this, I purchased some spare Pebble cables from Aliexpress. I carefully disassembled the boards on both ends of the cables and then soldered them to a USB Type-C breakout board. This modification ensures that the adapter is compatible with USB-C to USB-C cables, thanks to the inclusion of the appropriate resistors.

The next step was to create a custom case for the adapter. I used orange ASA filament and printed the case with my trusted Prusa MINI 3D printer. It took several attempts to get the opening just right, but the final result was worth the effort. The case fits perfectly and provides a neat and durable housing for the modified cable.

This custom USB-C charger has become the perfect travel companion for my Pebble Time Round. The watch itself continues to function flawlessly, thanks to an improvised battery swap I performed a few years ago. This small project has significantly enhanced my Pebble experience, combining modern connectivity with the best smartwatch ever made (e-Paper will always beat oled screens!).

Production scale-up

I’ve decided to sell a limited batch of these chargers. My aim is not to profit but to learn how to scale production at home. I chose to use SLS technology with nylon powder for professional 3D printing of the enclosure. Each charger is hand-soldered and secured with epoxy glue for added durability. Here are some pictures of the final product: