Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford shocks fans after friend allegedly finds unreleased Pixel Watch 5 in the ocean

Google’s next smartwatch may have surfaced months early after Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford shared photos of a Pixel Watch 5 reportedly found while scuba diving near St. Martin.

Randy Pitchford sparked discussion online after posting images of what appeared to be an unreleased Google Pixel Watch 5 that was allegedly discovered underwater by a friend during a scuba diving trip near the Caribbean island of St. Martin.

In a post on X, the Gearbox CEO said the watch’s rear markings identified it as a Pixel Watch 5, despite Google not having officially announced the device.

“A friend of mine found this watch a few days ago ~underwater~ when he was scuba diving near the island of St. Martin,” Pitchford wrote. “He noted that the reverse of the watch indicates that it is a Google Pixel 5, which has not yet been announced, let alone released.”

Pitchford added that the watch appeared functional despite being found in the ocean, saying the display showed the correct time even though it appeared to have an empty battery.

Randy Pitchford tracks down owner of found Pixel Watch 5

The post quickly gained traction, racking up millions of views as users speculated about how an unreleased smartwatch ended up at the bottom of the ocean.

Just hours later, Pitchford returned with an update confirming that the owner had been identified through the attention generated by the post.

“Update: Thanks to the magic of the internet, I am now in touch with the owner and we’ve arranged for its return,” he wrote. “If you find something that isn’t yours, pay it forward and try to return it to its rightful owner.”

Several well-known tech personalities joined the conversation, including tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who joked: “This is maybe the most Google thing to ever happen.”