A BRAND new retailer to the North East specialising in quality watch repairs has opened its doors this September on Northumberland Street, Newcastle, creating two jobs – with a further two in the pipeline.
The WATCH Lab, now a part of Aurum Holdings following its recent acquisition, is based within the Monument Mall development, which has seen a number of brands launch outlets in recent months.
Aurum Holdings, the largest prestige and luxury jewellers in the UK, includes Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb, Goldsmiths, boutique.Goldsmiths. Watch Shop, The Watch Lab and Watch Hut within its portfolio.
The WATCH Lab’s Newcastle opening marks the seventh Aurum-operated venture in the region joining the likes of Northern Goldsmiths and Reid & Sons in Newcastle city centre and the Goldsmiths and boutique.Goldsmiths showrooms in intu Eldon Square and intu Metrocentre.
It also brings the total number of The WATCH Lab branches operating nationally to 19 in prime locations from Glasgow to Southampton. The company, founded in 2000, employed a Rolex Accredited Watchmaker from day one to set the standards for all watch repairs.
With solid IT systems, CCTV and video links to Head Office Master Watchmakers, the customer experience is straight-forward, positive and informative. The WATCH Lab head office supports its branches with top level Accreditation for many brands including Omega, Longines, Rado, Certina and Tissot
Jonathan Barker, director at The WATCH Lab, said: “We’re thrilled to have launched our new premises in Newcastle. Northumberland Street is such a significant shopping destination so we’re confident business will be strong for us in the coming months.
“Working as a division of Aurum Holdings is allowing us to grow the business quickly and make our unique offering available to the majority of the UK’s population rather than a small portion of it and Newcastle was always on our radar for expansion.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our first customers and getting our services known in the city and beyond.”
Aurum Holdings chief executive officer Brian Duffy said: “We acquired The WATCH Lab in April 2016 in order to continue enhancing our customer offering and ensure they have a wide choice of services when it comes to jewellery and timepieces.
“There is a huge synergy between the business and our existing brands, and as a market leader, the team’s expertise is an excellent asset for Aurum Holdings. We have a passion for acting local, so it’s fantastic to be able to bring their skills to Newcastle’s high street for all of customers’ watch needs.”
The group, established in 2007, is the largest distributor in the world of luxury brands such as Omega, Tag Heuer and Gucci. It is also the UK’s largest distributor for Rolex, Cartier and Breitling.
Brian added: “We pride ourselves on providing an excellent product range and unrivalled service across our brands and it’s a pleasure to work with Jonathan and Jeremy Barker.”
The WATCH Lab also has plans to open a branch in Birmingham Bullring in the coming months. For more information, visit:http://www.thewatchlab.co.uk/branches/watch-repairs-newcastle/
The Newcastle branch is located at The WATCH Lab Express, Kiosk A, Monument Mall, Northumberland Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7AL.