Rees Bros. Watchmakers opened in Austin on "the drag" (Guadalupe Street) on September 5, 1953. Founded by brothers Bert and Arthur Rees, the store featured watch repair, jewelry sales and repair, and catered to a growing University of Texas population. Both Arthur and Bert worked for a jewelry repair and watchmaker in San Antonio while in high school. Both attended San Antonio Technical and Vocational High School and would walk to the Brady Building (202 E. Houston Street), where they worked for I. B. Bauman Jewelry store. It was with Bauman that the brothers learned clock, watch, and jewelry repair.

At the close of WWII, Bert joined the United States Army. During the Korean War, Arthur worked at Kelly Air Force Base doing aircraft instrument repair. In 1950, Bert began to study art at the University of Texas at Austin. As Bert went to school, he worked at Sheftall Jewelry store located on Guadalupe across from UT. When he graduated in 1953, he approached the owner of Texas Bookstore about walling of part of the bookstore to make a separate jewelry store. That same year, the brothers opened Rees Jewelry at 2238 Guadalupe as a full service watch and jewelry store. Almost immediately after opening the store, Rees Brothers became known as a place that offered fair prices and good service. During their time on the drag, the brothers witnessed the changing times in Austin.

In 1967, Bert Rees left Austin to accept a full time teaching position at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Arthur continued to operate Rees Brothers in Austin, while Bert opened Rees Jewelry. Bert designed jewelry, repaired watches and jewelry, and did repair work for other stores in the area until 2001.

In 2001, a new era for Rees Jewelry in Nacogdoches began when Bert's wife, Charlene, moved Rees Jewelry from their home studio to a retail location. Bert continued to work with Charlene until his death in 2011. In 2014, Charlene moved her small jewelry store to downtown Nacogdoches.

Rees Jewelry store continues to thrive as one of the few full service jewelry stores in Nacogdoches.