Welcome to Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers where quality, fine workmanship, and exceptional customer service are the cornerstone of our 22 year established business. Here at Barton-Clay, we pride ourselves in our high end jewels, watches, and unique gift items.

We are the exclusive Alabama dealer for the prestigious Patek Philippe and Panerai watch brands, giving Barton-Clay the title of “Top Watch Specialist in Alabama and the Southeast”

History

Eric Clay McClain and Barton Sperry Snow have built their careers around beautiful objects and, more importantly, around people who appreciate delicate art appended to nature’s million-year process of stone making. Snow and McClain have an experienced appreciation for the genius and the restraint which constitutes glorious jewelry. The pair had worked together in a retail setting with a large jewelry company for 15 years, Snow as a store manager and McClain as a jeweler, when they observed first hand a changing emphasis in the company’s operation.

“We saw a shift in management from a local to a national basis,” Snow recalls. “The former emphasis on the quality of our products gave way to a preoccupation with cost. Eric and I didn’t like what we were seeing. That company was becoming the exact opposite of everything we thought a good jewelry store ought to be.”

So they left. Together.

In 1987, they opened a small jewelry store called Barton-Clay (those two extra names, you know) on Culver Road in Mountain Brook Village.

From the beginning, Barton-Clay Jewelers has understood that day-in, day-out service keeps the luster in a customer relationship. “From the beginning, we’ve tried to give our customers service simply not available down the street,” McClain says. “We employ three full-time jewelers. We have one full-time, master watchmaker. We know our customers by name.”

Barton-Clay Jewelers remained at the Culver road location for several years, until they started to outgrow it. Snow and McClain looked for several years to find the lot they wanted, but when they found it, they knew exactly what kind of building to put there. “It’s the best location at the busiest intersection in Mountain Brook Village,” says Snow. “For our new store, we wanted a structure to enhance the area, as well as serve as an attractive backdrop for the jewels and rare items we sell.”

He and McClain decided to create a spacious, English Tudor building that would compliment the older architecture of the surrounding Mountain Brook Village – buildings that date back to the 1920’s and ‘30s. They moved in November 1995 to the new two-story building, featuring a fireplace and more than 4,000 square feet of selling space – doubling their previous store’s showroom space.

The 12-foot tall “Old English” style clock in front of the store attracts considerable attention. Its four faces can be seen from any direction. “We always felt this area needed a clock,” says Snow. “We told the architect to include one, to add a little warmth and ambiance.” It also serves as a reminder of the prestigious timepieces Barton-Clay offers, ranging from Rolex to Patek Philippe.

The partners have seen their business, established in 1987, grow rapidly to require the new location twice the size of the original store. They attribute the success to a combination of personal service, commitment to quality and a selection that includes unique luxury items. “From the day we opened our doors, we wanted to be so customer oriented, so service oriented that people would just naturally want to shop with us,” Snow says. “The sort of store that Eric and I envisioned for ourselves was one where customers would walk in, and we’d take care of them as only friends possibly could.”

In 2001, Eric’s youngest son, Ryan, started work at Barton-Clay. He is head of the watch department, and sales manager, and has been with the company full time for 10 years.

Today, Barton-Clay remains at their present location, having added luxurious awnings to the front of the store, individually displaying their most prestigious lines.

Customers who choose the finest in jewelry are doing so based on a love of beauty and quality. Valuable as jewelry may be, most buyers view it as a lifelong possession, rather than something they may sell in the future.

“We don’t sell jewelry as an investment,” says Snow, adding thoughtfully, “except maybe an investment in happiness.”