A little slice of luxury has come to Birmingham's main shopping street after high-end jewellery retailer Rudell opened its third branch.
The firm, which is approaching its 90th birthday celebrations, has added a new shop in New Street's Burlington Arcade to its venues in Harborne and Wolverhampton where it launched in the 1930s.
To add to its air of exclusivity, this latest branch is one of only 26 Patek Philippe agents across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and the only location in Birmingham to sell the brand.
The renowned Swiss watchmaker's fingerprint is all over the new shop, with several dedicated displays alongside private viewing areas for Rudell's wealthy client base.
Speaking to BusinessLive at the store's official launch event, deputy manager Lee Craig said the deal with the exclusive brand was a big boon for the newly opened shop.
"I think Patek Philippe will be the big draw to the new store," he said.
"There are not many agencies selling them, it's a very small network and there were 40 last year so it's been streamlined even more. They only make around 70,000 pieces a year whereas other high end brands might make a million or 1.5 million a year."
He added: "The new showroom has come at a cost but obviously we wanted to create a luxurious feel for the clients which is only right for the brands we're carrying.
"We're an addition to the high street here and we have some lovely units around us. I think, by being open here, we're giving people a reason to shop back here in Birmingham instead of heading to Bond Street in London.
"Hopefully, our addition here in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's second biggest city will create something special and help New Street and the way it looks.
"Harborne and Wolverhampton are both great locations but we felt that, by being in Birmingham, we're catering to all and I don't think it will be just Birmingham people we will be serving."
Rudell was founded on Valentine's Day in 1938 by Justin Rudell in Wolverhampton as a retailer of leather ware and other goods before transitioning into the jewellery market in 1950.
In 1986, the firm opened a second shop in the Birmingham suburb of Harborne.
Its third store, in the former Suit Direct shop, has 4,000 sq ft of retail space over two floors, a first for Rudell, and it also sells watches and jewellery by high-end brands such as Chopard, Montblanc and Fope.
It has several private viewing and meeting areas, a drinks bar and even a 'reveal box' which can be used by people who need that little extra pizzazz and sense of ceremony when gifting presents to loved ones.
The location is one of extremely high football due to its proximity to New Street and the Grand Central and Bullring shopping centres while Watches of Switzerland, tech giant Apple and men's formalwear retailer Charles Tyrwhitt are among its neighbours.
Six new jobs have also been created as a result of the launch while repairs and goldsmith work is done on site.
Managing director Jon Weston told guests at the launch event: "This is a very exciting chapter in our next stage of our evolution.
"I cannot say just how proud we are to join the fine portfolio of retailers in Birmingham. This is a site that I have looked at for quite some time.
"It has taken a little while to get here but I have to say we are very pleased with the final product.
"I think we have created a shopping experience that is second to none in Birmingham and widens the choice that the city's clientele can select from."
