Quick answer: Suunto Core 2 is Suunto's next-generation outdoor ABC watch, launching in July 2026. It features a brighter LED dot-matrix display, a switchable red and green backlight, 10 ATM water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability, and Bluetooth connectivity, with a long-life replaceable CR3032 battery. It is a dedicated altimeter, barometer, and compass watch, refined for the people who rely on it.
Some things are better refined than reinvented.
Suunto Core launched over a decade ago and became something rare: a genuine tool that people came to trust, day after day, in the places where equipment earns its keep. It earned that trust by doing the right things, reliably, for as long as people needed it to.
Today, we are introducing Suunto Core 2.
Same Soul. Better Everything
Core 2 starts where the original did, from the belief that an outdoor watch should be a true instrument, built to tell you what you need to know, altitude, weather, and direction, then step aside so you can focus on where you are going.
That belief shows in the design as well. Core 2 carries the original's hardcore character forward, the shape people recognize on sight and a good part of why the watch has always had a following among EDC and design-minded wearers. It is refined where it counts: a cleaner bezel curve, a better made strap, and a watch that sits more comfortably through a full day on the wrist.
What has changed is how well it does all of that, and how good it feels to use every day.
Optimized, Brighter Display for The Field
The upgrade you notice first is the display. Core 2 uses a high-contrast LED dot-matrix screen that is 40% brighter than the original, under tougher Gorilla Glass, so your altitude and pressure stay clear at a glance in direct sun or fading light. A switchable red and green backlight covers every condition, red to protect your night vision, green for low light, all in a single watch.
Built for The Conditions
Core 2 is water resistant to 10 ATM and built to MIL-STD-810H military standards, ready for rain, river crossings, shock, and cold. The barometer keeps an eye on the pressure for you, and a more accurate storm alarm gives you dependable early warning, with far fewer false alarms. The ABC sensors are sharper this generation, too.
Long-life Power, Yours to Replace
Core 2 runs for up to 15 months of typical use on a replaceable CR3032 cell, and the battery is user-replaceable, so a watch you keep for years keeps going. A low-battery alert gives you fair warning in good time. Dependable, low-maintenance power that keeps working long after most watches would ask for a charger.
Connected, Still Itself
For the first time, Core comes with Bluetooth. App pairing, settings sync, and over-the-air firmware updates keep your watch current for the long haul, which matters when Core watches are often worn for the better part of a decade. And because the connection is yours to switch on or off, you can stay completely off the radar when a trip calls for it.
Where Will You Venture?
Core 2 is for the ridge walk that runs longer than planned. The fishing trip where the pressure drops and the bite turns on. The overlanding route that keeps you weeks, even months, beyond the reach of a signal. The season in the field where a watch simply has to keep working.
It is a watch for people who go to places, and who understand that the best outdoor gear gets out of your way.
Suunto Core 2. The unknown, made certain. Available now at suunto.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Suunto Core 2?
Suunto Core 2 is Suunto's next-generation outdoor ABC watch, with an altimeter, barometer, and compass. It is built for hikers, backcountry campers, anglers, and overlanders who want reliable outdoor navigation and weather tools with a long-lasting, user-replaceable battery.
When does Suunto Core 2 launch?
Suunto Core 2 launches in July 2026, available globally at suunto.com and through authorized Suunto retailers.
How is Suunto Core 2 different from the original Core?
Core 2 upgrades the original with a brighter LED dot-matrix display, a switchable red and green backlight, upgraded ABC sensors, 10 ATM water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability, a moon phase, a step counter, and Bluetooth connectivity, on a long-life replaceable CR3032 battery. The ABC identity is retained and refined.
Does Suunto Core 2 have GPS or smart features?
Core 2 is a dedicated outdoor ABC watch. It connects to the Suunto app over Bluetooth for syncing and firmware updates, while staying focused as an outdoor tool rather than a GPS or smartwatch.