What you need to know
- An alleged Pixel Watch 5 has been found at the bottom of the ocean near St. Martin.
- Photos shared online show “Google” and “Pixel Watch 5” branding, along with references to SpO2, EDA, heart rate tracking, UWB and IP68 water resistance.
- Unlike most early prototypes hidden inside bulky boxes, the leaked watch looks pretty complete and close to a retail-ready product.
Google’s next smartwatch may have been leaked in the weirdest way yet, and no, it wasn’t left behind in a coffee shop or seen in a blurry subway photo. Instead, it appears as unreleased Pixel Watch 5 allegedly found sitting at the bottom of the ocean.
The strange story began after Randy Pitchford, co-founder of Gearbox Software, shared photos on X and claimed that a friend discovered the smartwatch while scuba diving near the Caribbean island of St. Martin. According to Pitchford, the watch was retrieved underwater and appears to still be partially functional, although the battery appears to have drained.
A friend of mine found this watch a few days ago ~underwater~ while scuba diving near the island of St. Martin. He noted that the back of the watch suggests it’s the Google Pixel 5, not that the release has yet to be announced. It seems to be good. Face… pic.twitter.com/Mnenov1sFEMay 31, 2026
That alone would make it one of the weirdest gadget leaks in recent memory. But it’s the photos that really caught the attention of the Android community.
Key features revealed
The images reveal a smartwatch that looks very similar to Google’s existing Pixel Watch series. More importantly, the back case appears to be clearly labeled with both “Google” and “Pixel Watch 5.” There are also several health and connectivity items listed around the sensor housing SpO2 monitoringEDA, heart rate sensor and Ultra Wideband (UWB) support. The back panel also cites IP68 water resistance.
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If this story sounds strangely familiar, that’s because Google smartwatch leaks have a habit of popping up in unexpected places. In 2022, months before the first Pixel Watch was officially announced, a prototype was reportedly left behind in a US restaurant. Shared with Android Central gave the world its first real look at Google’s long-rumored wearable, with its signature domed display and rotating crown. The incident quickly drew comparisons apple‘s infamous lost iPhone 4 prototype saga.
Somehow, this latest leak is even better than that tale. Unlike the restaurant prototype, the alleged Pixel Watch 5 survived for a long time in water. Even more surprisingly, the device looks quite complete. Most early leaks of unreleased hardware are camouflaged in large protective shells to mask their appearance. This watch looks more like a finished product than an engineering prototype.
There is no official information about Google’s successor yet Pixel Watch 4and no one outside of Google can say for sure whether a watch found in the ocean is real or not. The company has not made any public comments and the device could always be a well-made fake. Still, few of the details shown in the images match what you’d expect from an actual Pixel Watch prototype, so the leak quickly became very compelling.
Adding another twist, Pitchford then claimed he was able to identify the watch’s owner thanks to the “magic of the internet” and efforts are underway to return it. This means that the alleged prototype could just as mysteriously disappear into someone’s hands.
Android Central’s Take
I like this leak better than most carefully planned teaser campaigns. If the watch is real, then the apparent survivability of the underwater ride is a positive sign for buyers concerned about durability. But you have to wonder how Google is always in the middle of these weird prototype stories. A restaurant prototype in 2022 was rare enough, but an unreleased smartwatch that allegedly washed up on the ocean floor looks like something out of a tech-themed treasure hunt. At this rate, Google could spend as much time tracking down its hardware as building it.
