It’s possible today is the first time you’ve heard the name Abingdon Mullin. And she wouldn’t be surprised. “Even though my brand has been around for almost 20 years, a lot of people in the watch world still don’t know me,” she admits with a mix of candor and amusement. But step into a hangar, an airfield, or a community of women aviators, and her name rings with significance. Mullin is not just a pilot—she’s a pioneer. She’s the founder of Abingdon Co., a purpose-driven watch brand built by and for women who work in professional and extreme environments. From the cockpit to the boardroom, Mullin is charting a new course for how we think about women in the world of watches—and beyond.
Her story begins not in the atelier of a Swiss watch house, but in the sky. Mullin first knew she wanted to fly when she was just 14 years old. That dream carried her through college, where she saved every penny she could from side jobs and campus gigs. Once she graduated, she funneled those savings directly into flight lessons. “I took my first lesson that year,” she recalls. “By September, I completed my checkride—the FAA’s final practical test to become a certified pilot.”
It was during her training that she kept hearing a familiar refrain from every instructor: there are a few essentials a good pilot should never be without—solid aviation-grade headphones, a good pair of sunglasses, and a reliable pilot’s watch. “In case your avionics go down, a pilot’s watch is a critical backup,” she explains. It wasn’t just tradition; it was safety.
Naturally, Mullin went looking for one. What she found instead was a glaring void. “I’m of average height, but I have a small frame,” she says. “Every pilot’s watch I tried was huge, bulky, and designed for men. They didn’t fit, didn’t feel right, and definitely didn’t look like something I wanted to wear every day.”
It was a realization that quickly turned into frustration. But what happened next was a moment of serendipity that would alter the course of her life. In December 2006, Mullin had joined the Santa Monica chapter of The Ninety-Nines—a historic international organization of women pilots founded by none other than Amelia Earhart and 98 of her peers. At their annual holiday gathering, the conversation turned to wish lists. One pilot offhandedly mentioned she had always wanted a pilot’s watch but never found one made for women. Mullin chimed in with her own experience. Other voices joined. The mood shifted from casual to collective discontent.
“I got angry,” Mullin recalls. “The feminist in me stood up. I said, ‘Ladies, if I figure out how to make a watch, would you help me design it?’” The women agreed enthusiastically, but Mullin sensed they didn’t fully believe she would follow through.
She did.
Within days, Mullin set a hard deadline for herself: November 3, 2007—her birthday. That gave her 11 months to go from idea to finished product. She had no background in horology, no manufacturing experience, no contacts in the watch industry. What she did have was a goal, a group of women willing to offer insight, and millennial-level mastery of internet research. She began by Googling everything she could about watchmaking, identifying suppliers, emailing factories, learning about quartz movements, and teaching herself about case sizes and material tolerances.
It was a crash course in entrepreneurship, engineering, and consumer product development, all wrapped into a single-year sprint. And yet, against all odds, she made it happen. In November 2007, The Abingdon Co. launched with two inaugural models: The Jackie, a classic pilot’s chronograph, and The Amelia, a dual-time GMT—both designed specifically for women in aviation.
The response was immediate and resounding. Her designs spread quickly through niche catalogs, aviation retailers, and most notably, through word of mouth among women in the pilot community. Mullin hadn’t just made a watch—she had created a conversation. She filled a void many didn’t even realize could be addressed. And in doing so, she opened the door to a business that wasn’t just about telling time—it was about telling women they belonged in this space.
Over the next 15 years, Abingdon Co. grew steadily, if somewhat quietly. The brand had strong footing in the aviation world but remained relatively unknown in the broader watch community. That began to change in 2022 when the company made its industry debut at Windup Watch Fair in New York. “That event changed everything,” Mullin says. “It put us in front of collectors, hobbyists, and other microbrands. People saw what we were doing—and they understood why it mattered.”
Since then, the brand has been a regular fixture at Windup events across the country. And while many still associate Abingdon Co. with aviation, the company has evolved far beyond its original niche. Today, its catalog includes eight distinct watch families, with specialized models designed for divers, tactical professionals, motorsport enthusiasts, and even equestrians. Each timepiece is designed with the same founding principle: build professional-grade tool watches for women who do more.
This shift wasn’t just a natural evolution—it was strategic. Mullin realized that women in countless professions were experiencing the same thing she had as a pilot: a lack of gear designed with them in mind. From police officers to EMTs, military personnel to racecar drivers, female professionals were constantly adapting to tools built for men. Mullin saw an opportunity to flip that script. And that opportunity has paid off. Abingdon watches are no longer just niche products for women in cockpits; they’ve become essential gear for women across industries where precision, durability, and reliability are non-negotiable.
Yet despite all the progress, Mullin still encounters skepticism from within the watch world. “At Windup, there’s always someone from another booth who asks me, ‘How are you selling tool watches to women?’” she says. “And I always respond with a question: ‘How many women are on your design team?’ Because if you bring women into the process—into the room—they’ll tell you exactly what they want. You just have to listen.”
This ability to listen—and to lead—has brought Mullin to a new milestone. On November 3, 2025, Abingdon Co. will open its first brick-and-mortar showroom in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, just steps from its headquarters. But don’t expect a typical watch boutique. True to form, the space will be by-appointment-only, prioritizing personal, highly curated experiences. It will also serve as a hub for brand events, collector meetups, educational sessions, and creative activations. There are plans to open one day a week to the general public, but the space’s primary function will be to foster deep, meaningful engagement between the brand and its community.
The showroom’s debut will coincide with the launch of Las Vegas Watch Week, a five-day celebration of the brand’s 18th anniversary. Events will include the unveiling of a showroom-exclusive timepiece, culinary experiences by renowned vegan chef Stacey Dougan (who has cooked for Usher and Bill Clinton), and a private concert by pilot and Principal Harpist of the Utah Symphony, Louise Vickerman. Cirque du Soleil and other local performers are expected to make appearances. True to Abingdon’s values, members of the brand’s exclusive community, known as Crew Members, will be front and center throughout the festivities.
But the showroom is only the beginning. Starting in 2026, Mullin plans to translate the educational content from her social media platforms into in-person workshops. These sessions will range from basic watch care to full mechanical assembly, giving both women and men the tools to become more knowledgeable, empowered owners—and perhaps future watchmakers themselves. “I want women to see themselves not just as consumers of watches, but as creators of them,” Mullin says.
Long-term, she hopes to transform Las Vegas into a magnet for horological talent, building a watchmaking ecosystem that creates jobs and fosters technical innovation. “We’re bringing watchmaking back to the U.S.—and making space for women at every step,” she says.
Abingdon Mullin’s journey is, at its core, a story about visibility, agency, and inclusion. She didn’t just fill a gap in the market; she questioned why the gap existed in the first place. In a world where women have long been presented with the “pink and shrink” model of product design—take something for men, make it smaller and pastel—Mullin offers something radically different: authenticity. She designs from the inside out, involving women in every step of the process, creating tools that reflect the realities of their lives and their work.
She also created something deeper than a product: a community. Her Crew Members aren’t just customers—they’re collaborators, ambassadors, and friends. They’ve helped shape everything from product lines to branding, and in return, the brand gives them a seat at the table. “This isn’t a transactional relationship,” Mullin says. “It’s a shared mission.”
In doing so, she’s not just carving out space for women in horology—she’s changing what that space looks like. “I always say: This brand isn’t about selling watches to women,” she says. “It’s about building a world where women are the ones designing the cockpit—or the dial.”
Abingdon Mullin set out to become a pilot. Along the way, she also became a disruptor, a designer, a teacher, and a trailblazer. And while she’s still flying—literally and figuratively—her greatest legacy might be in showing an entire industry how much higher it can soar when women are in the pilot’s seat.