Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7 July 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Watch Chamber Group Limited ("Watch Chamber", "we", "our", "us") processes personal data when you use watchchamber.co.uk (the "Platform"). It should be read alongside our Terms & Conditions and Cookie Policy. Watch Chamber is the data controller for the processing described here and complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Watch Chamber Group Limited, a company registered in England & Wales. Data Protection contact: info@watchchamber.co.uk.

2. Personal data we collect

• Account data — name, email, hashed password, phone number, account type, delivery/billing address, profile photo.
• Verification data — for Dealers and, where required, Private Sellers: business name, registered address, company number, VAT number, identity document details and images, and proof of business.
• Listing content — watch details, photographs, descriptions, pricing, provenance information you publish.
• Bidding & enquiry data — bids placed, enquiries submitted, messages exchanged with other users.
• Payment metadata — Stripe customer ID, Stripe subscription and payment intent IDs, last four digits of card, invoice history. We do not store full card numbers; these are processed and stored by Stripe.
• Device & usage data — IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referrer, session identifiers.
• Security logs — login attempts, IP addresses used for authentication, admin actions, rate-limiting and fraud-prevention signals.
• Support & correspondence — messages you send us and our replies, complaints raised under the Complaints Procedure.

3. Sources of data

Data is collected directly from you, generated by your use of the Platform, and — for Dealer verification — supplied by third-party identity and business-check providers.

4. Lawful bases for processing

• Contract — to create and operate your account, publish Listings, run auctions, provide the Members Club, and process Listing fees and subscriptions.
• Legitimate interests — to keep the Platform secure, prevent fraud, moderate content, improve the service, defend legal claims, and market our own related services to existing customers.
• Consent — non-essential cookies, marketing communications to new prospects, and any optional features you opt into. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation — accounting, tax, anti-fraud, anti-money-laundering, court orders, and lawful law-enforcement requests.

5. How we use your data

To operate accounts and Listings; publish and moderate content; run auctions; verify Dealers; take payment for Listing fees and Members Club subscriptions via Stripe; send transactional emails; send marketing communications where you have consented; investigate abuse; respond to complaints; and comply with law.

6. Recipients of your data

• Stripe Payments Europe Ltd — payment processing for Listing fees and Members Club subscriptions.
• Supabase (database, authentication and storage provider) — hosted backend infrastructure. Where infrastructure is located outside the UK, transfer safeguards below apply.
• Hosting & edge providers — application hosting and content delivery for the Platform.
• Email providers — transactional and marketing email delivery.
• Analytics providers — aggregated usage analytics, subject to your cookie choices.
• Identity / business verification providers — for Dealer verification only.
• Professional advisers, regulators & law enforcement — where required.

Other Platform users see the profile information, Listings, messages, and bids you publish or send. We do not sell your personal data.

7. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, together with additional safeguards where appropriate.

8. Data retention

• Account & Listing data — while your account is active and for up to 6 years after closure for legal, tax and dispute purposes.
• Verification documents — for as long as the Dealer account is active and up to 6 years afterwards, in line with anti-fraud obligations.
• Payment metadata — 7 years for accounting and tax.
• Marketing preferences — until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
• Security logs — up to 12 months, longer where required to investigate abuse.

9. Security

We use TLS in transit, encryption at rest for sensitive fields, hashed passwords, row-level security in our database, least-privilege access controls, audit logging and continuous monitoring. No system is perfectly secure — you must also protect your credentials.

10. Cookies

See the Cookie Policy. You may change your consent at any time via the cookie banner or your browser controls.

11. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to be informed; access your data; rectification; erasure; restriction of processing; portability; to object to processing (including direct marketing); and rights relating to automated decision-making. To exercise a right, email info@watchchamber.co.uk. We will respond within one month. You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113).

12. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified in-Platform or by email.

13. Contact

Watch Chamber Group Limited — info@watchchamber.co.uk.