The Story Behind BYOP Watches

My love for aviation began in the 4th grade. I was a big fan of a popular WWII aviation television show - Ba Ba Black Sheep. Many of the kids in class wanted to be the Squad Leader, Captain "Pappy" Boyington. We created our own air squadron in class, made paper insignia to designate our pilot ranks, taped them to our sleeves, and wore them outside during recess. We immediately ran to the swing sets shouting flight commands at one another as we jumped into our cockpits. We flew high, as high as we could, until bailing out of our planes, flying into the air even higher. The flight wasn't over until we each landed safely back on the ground - after all, we were pilots.

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When I began BYOP watches in 2017, I wasn’t interested in simply creating another watch brand, I wanted to create watches that had meaning. Something more than a time piece, something that can inspire others in the way I was inspired in my life. I took this inspiration from aviation cockpit dials with military fonts and matching black and white instrument style hands. I wanted BYOP watches to have the feeling of you being in the cockpit reminding you that you are the pilot of your life. I also wanted the attributes of a true pilot’s tool watch—clean, simple, highly legible, and with an internal bezel that can be used for various aviation time functions.

 

Defintion of a Pilot

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Oxford Dictionary defines pi·lot as a noun 1. a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft. I define a pilot as a person who operates the flight controls of their life. Pilots are brave, free, and independent, and navigate the skies according to who they are, they are their own pilot. This belief is the inspiration from my childhood and the BYOP brand, which stands for Be Your Own Pilot.  ​​​

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Childhood Inspiration

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After spending time in group homes and foster care when I was a kid, I spent the rest of my childhood living near an airport. It was at this time I was given my first watch and an inspiration. Wearing my watch as a kid gave me a feeling of having a co-pilot with me where ever I went. I spent many days wearing my co-pilot watching airplanes fly overhead which grew into a love for aviation and planted a dream in me of becoming a pilot. It was this that inspired me to be my own pilot, a pilot of my own life. I was inspired to be brave, be independent, and to be my own person, especially during times of turbulence and rough landings. Aviation showed me the world was much bigger then what I saw as a kid, it showed me that I could go anywhere in the world, and anywhere in my life. My hope is the BYOP brand will inspire you in the same way to Be Your Own Pilot in life. 

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