Abingdon Mullin had long harbored a dream of becoming a pilot. After completing her flight training, she sought to reward herself with a pilot’s watch, only to discover a glaring gap in the market for watches designed specifically for female pilots.
Her realization was reinforced during a conversation with a group of female pilot friends, who shared similar sentiments about the lack of options available to them.
“One of the women mentioned, ‘I’ve always wished for a pilot’s watch,'” Mullin recounted. “‘It’s been on my wishlist, but no one seems to produce anything suitable.'”
Determined to address this need, Mullin embarked on a journey to learn watchmaking and develop a pilot’s watch tailored to women. Despite women comprising only 6% of the market, she remained undeterred by skeptics who doubted the viability of creating such a product.
In 2007, Mullin unveiled her inaugural watch and launched her brand, Abingdon Co., initially specializing in pilot watches under a different brand name.
Over the past two decades, Abingdon Mullin has made significant strides since establishing her business, relocating to Las Vegas, and even making an appearance on Shark Tank. During this time, she has broadened her company’s offerings beyond pilot watches for women to include timepieces tailored to various industries, such as automotive and diving.
As her product line expanded, Abingdon Co. adopted the motto “watches for women who do more,” reflecting the diverse range of activities its watches cater to.
Mullin expressed frustration with the watch industry’s tendency to treat women’s watches as an afterthought, often merely repurposing men’s designs with slight modifications. In contrast, Abingdon Co. prioritizes functionality and design tailored specifically for women.
With approximately a dozen employees and a remarkable 68% growth from 2022 to 2023, Abingdon Co. serves thousands of customers across nearly 20 countries. Mullin remains committed to supporting fellow women-owned businesses experiencing similar success and growth.
“We’re a driving force,” Mullin emphasized. “Women in this city, they don’t slouch around.”
Supporting Mullin’s assertion is a recent study on the economic impact of women-owned businesses.
According to the 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Business Report, such businesses comprise nearly 40% of all businesses in the economy, totaling over 14 million establishments. These businesses employ more than 12 million workers and generate an impressive $2.7 trillion in revenue.
Moreover, women-owned businesses are growing at nearly double the rate of male-owned businesses. This trend was especially pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with women-owned businesses contributing 1.4 million new jobs and generating almost $580 billion in revenue, as indicated by the report.
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