Noah Galloway Is Armitron Watches’ New Ambassador

Army veteran Noah Galloway is having a great year. The personal trainer just finished his super-impressive third-place stint on Dancing with the Stars, got engaged to his girlfriend on live TV and just signed up with Armitron watches as the label’s new brand ambassador. But for Galloway, this is a particularly special partnership — he was wearing an Armitron watch when he lost his left arm and leg to an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

Courtesy Armitron

For Galloway, the partnership was a no-brainer. “I love Armitron because they are durable and reasonably priced,” he said. But his story with the timepieces goes way deeper.

“Before my second deployment to Iraq, I purchased a $20 Armitron watch,” Galloway tells PEOPLE. “When the explosion hit me, it immediately took off my left arm, the same arm my watch was on. When the medics were working on me they removed the watch from my detached wrist and put it in a bag with all the contents of my pockets.”

He was given the bag when he reached Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., but the watch sat in a drawer, unused for years until he decided to get back into shape.

“I needed it to time my workouts. All I had to do with the watch was clean it, dry the blood off of it and set it to the correct time. It still worked as if it were new, but now it was better because it had a story behind it.”

Naturally, the collaboration means a great deal to Galloway. “I wanted nothing more than to partner up with Armitron — I was a huge fan of theirs because of that one watch.” Armitron is also supporting Galloway’s No Excuses Charitable Fund, which helps reduce childhood obesity in Alabama and empowers injured veterans with physical rehabilitative activities and programs.

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Even though Galloway’s a fan of all styles (the brand’s timepieces have a classic design clocking in right around that “$100 or under” price point), he says his trusty Ratchet Bezel piece fits perfectly with his “casual guy” lifestyle. “I’m usually dressed to work out or in blue jeans and a T-shirt; I’m a pretty casual kinda guy. It works well in the gym but it’s nice enough to wear out to a casual dinner.”

We think it will even look perfect with his kilt (yes, kilt!) and tuxedo jacket that he plans to wear for his upcoming nuptials to Army Reserve specialist Jamie Boyd. If you missed the story of their engagement, here’s a quick recap: Galloway proposed on live TV after a DWTS performance, explaining, “I always thought if I made it to the finale I would propose, but I realized the competition is so stiff I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by in case this is the end of the road for me on the show.”

When we checked in to see how the wedding planning was shaping up, he said they’re not too consumed with it yet. “We have so much happening right now we haven’t had time to really sit down and go over everything,” he shares. “Our entire relationship has moved at a comfortable pace, so the wedding will be the same. Everything will come together as it should.”

What do you think of Galloway’s Armitron story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

— Colleen Kratofil, with reporting by Brittany Talarico

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