privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 July 2026

Alpha Group respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you:

visit our website;
contact us by telephone, email or through an online form;
request information, an assessment or a quotation;
book a watchmaking service;
leave a watch or timepiece in our care;
visit our workshop;
communicate with us as a customer, supplier or trade partner; or
otherwise interact with Alpha Group.

This policy also explains your rights and how you can contact us about the way your personal information is handled.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of UK data protection law, the organisation responsible for your personal information is:

Alpha Group
Legal company name: The Alpha Group 7C Limited
Registered address: Registered Address: Spitalfields House, 1st Floor, Stirling Way, Borehamwood, England, WD6 2FX
Workshop address: Alpha Group, 9 St. Cross Street, Farringdon, London EC1N 8UB, United Kingdom
Email: contact@alphagroupwatchmaking.com
Telephone: 020 4531 5299
Company number: 15945048

In this policy, references to “Alpha Group”, “we”, “us” or “our” mean the organisation identified above.

2. Personal Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the services you request.

Contact information

This may include:

your name;
postal address;
email address;
telephone number;
company name;
job title; and
preferred method of communication.

Enquiry and service information

When you request watch servicing, repairs, restoration, refurbishment, polishing, battery replacement or another service, we may collect:

details of your enquiry;
information about the watch or timepiece;
brand, model and serial or reference number;
photographs of the watch;
reported faults or service requirements;
service history;
requested work;
quotations and estimates;
assessment and diagnostic information;
repair notes;
parts and components used;
collection or delivery instructions; and
records of communications relating to the service.

Ownership and identification information

For valuable, rare or high-value timepieces, we may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity, ownership of the watch or authority to instruct us.

This could include:

proof of purchase;
service documentation;
ownership records;
photographic identification;
proof of address; or
information supplied by an authorised representative.

We will only request this information where appropriate and will aim to limit collection to what is reasonably necessary.

Payment and transaction information

We may collect information relating to payments, invoices, refunds and transactions, including:

billing address;
payment status;
transaction reference;
amount paid;
invoice details;
VAT information; and
records required for accounting and tax purposes.

Card payments may be processed by an independent payment provider. Alpha Group may not receive or retain your complete card details when payments are processed securely by a third party.

Website and technical information

When you visit our website, we may collect:

IP address;
browser type;
device type;
operating system;
approximate geographical location;
pages viewed;
time and date of visits;
referring website or search engine;
links and buttons selected;
cookie preferences; and
information about website performance or errors.

Further details about our use of cookies and similar technologies can be found in our Cookie Policy.

Marketing preferences

We may record:

whether you have agreed to receive marketing;
the types of communications you wish to receive;
your preferred communication channels;
when and how your preferences were provided; and
whether you have unsubscribed or objected to marketing.

Workshop and premises information

When you visit our premises, we may collect information relating to:

appointments;
visitor records;
watches or other property brought to the workshop;
collection and delivery arrangements; and
security incidents.

Where CCTV operates at our premises, appropriate notices will be displayed. CCTV footage may capture your image when you enter or move around monitored areas.

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect information directly from you when you:

complete an online contact or enquiry form;
telephone or email us;
request an assessment or quotation;
provide a watch for servicing or repair;
visit our workshop;
make a payment;
subscribe to marketing communications;
interact with our website or social media accounts;
provide feedback or submit a complaint; or
communicate with a member of our team.

We may also receive information from:

a family member or representative acting on your behalf;
a retailer, dealer or trade professional referring work to us;
delivery and courier providers;
payment processors;
website analytics and advertising providers;
security and fraud-prevention services;
publicly available records; or
another organisation where you have authorised the disclosure.

Where someone provides us with information about another individual, they should ensure that they have authority to do so and that the individual has been made aware of this Privacy Policy.

4. How and Why We Use Personal Information

We only use personal information where we have an appropriate reason and lawful basis for doing so.

Responding to enquiries

We use your contact details and enquiry information to:

respond to questions;
arrange appointments;
provide information about our services;
prepare assessments and quotations; and
discuss the condition or requirements of a timepiece.

Our lawful basis may be taking steps at your request before entering into a contract or pursuing our legitimate interest in responding to business enquiries.

Providing watchmaking services

We use personal and service information to:

receive and identify your watch;
record its condition;
carry out inspections and diagnostics;
prepare estimates;
complete authorised servicing or repairs;
order appropriate components;
provide progress updates;
arrange collection or delivery;
manage warranties or follow-up work; and
maintain an accurate service history.

Our lawful basis is normally that processing is necessary to perform our contract with you.

Processing payments and maintaining financial records

We use transaction and billing information to:

issue quotations and invoices;
process payments and refunds;
manage outstanding balances;
maintain accounting records; and
comply with tax, financial and legal requirements.

Our lawful bases may include performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation and our legitimate interest in managing our business finances.

Protecting watches and valuable property

We may record identifying details, serial numbers, photographs, condition reports and ownership information to:

protect watches entrusted to us;
maintain accurate custody records;
help prevent theft, fraud or unauthorised instructions;
investigate loss or damage;
resolve ownership concerns; and
support insurance or legal claims.

Our lawful basis may be performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations or our legitimate interest in protecting customers, Alpha Group and valuable property.

Operating and improving our website

We may use website and technical information to:

operate the website;
maintain website security;
diagnose technical problems;
understand how visitors use our pages;
improve navigation and content;
measure website performance; and
prevent spam, fraud or misuse.

Our lawful basis may be our legitimate interest in operating and improving our website. Where cookies or similar technologies require consent, we will request that consent through our cookie banner or preference centre.

Customer service and complaints

We may process personal information to:

answer service-related questions;
investigate concerns;
manage complaints;
provide updates;
resolve disputes; and
improve our services.

Our lawful basis may be performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation or our legitimate interest in providing effective customer service and protecting our business.

Legal and regulatory requirements

We may use or disclose personal information when necessary to:

comply with applicable laws;
respond to lawful requests from regulators or authorities;
establish, exercise or defend legal claims;
investigate suspected fraud or criminal activity;
comply with accounting and tax requirements; or
protect the rights, safety and property of Alpha Group, our customers or others.

Our lawful basis will normally be compliance with a legal obligation or our legitimate interests in protecting our business and legal rights.

5. Our Lawful Bases

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

Processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing a quotation, accepting a watch, carrying out authorised work and arranging payment or collection.

Legal obligation

Processing is necessary for us to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement, including accounting, tax, fraud-prevention and data protection obligations.

Legitimate interests

Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests or those of another organisation, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.

Our legitimate interests may include:

responding to business enquiries;
operating and improving our services;
protecting watches and other valuable property;
maintaining accurate service records;
preventing fraud and misuse;
securing our website and premises;
managing customer relationships;
recovering outstanding payments; and
establishing or defending legal claims.

Consent

We may rely on your consent for certain marketing communications, optional cookies or other activities where consent is appropriate.

You may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

6. Marketing Communications

We may use your contact information to send you relevant news, service information, offers or updates where:

you have given us consent;
you have previously purchased or enquired about similar services and applicable law allows us to contact you; or
another lawful basis is available for the communication.

You can stop receiving marketing communications at any time by:

selecting the unsubscribe link in an email;
replying to a message with an unsubscribe request; or
contacting us using the details at the end of this policy.

We may retain a limited suppression record after you unsubscribe so that we can respect your preference and avoid contacting you again for marketing purposes.

Service communications relating to an active quotation, repair, payment, collection or customer relationship are not marketing messages and may continue where necessary.

7. Cookies and Website Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

provide essential website functionality;
remember visitor preferences;
protect forms and website security;
measure website performance;
understand visitor activity;
display maps or videos; and
measure advertising and enquiries.

Optional cookies will only be activated where legally permitted and, where required, after you have made a choice through our cookie banner.

Please read our Cookie Policy for further information and instructions on managing your preferences.

8. Who We Share Personal Information With

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share personal information with trusted third parties where reasonably necessary, including:

watchmakers, technicians and specialist repair professionals;
manufacturers, parts suppliers and authorised service providers;
couriers, delivery companies and logistics providers;
payment processors and banking providers;
accountants, auditors and professional advisers;
IT, website-hosting and cloud-storage providers;
customer relationship and communication platforms;
analytics, advertising and marketing providers;
security, fraud-prevention and identity-verification providers;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
legal advisers, courts and dispute-resolution services;
government departments, regulators or law-enforcement authorities; and
a buyer, investor or adviser involved in a proposed sale, restructuring or transfer of our business.

We require service providers handling personal information on our behalf to use it only for authorised purposes and to apply appropriate security protections.

Some specialists may act as independent organisations responsible for their own use of personal information. Their handling of information will be governed by their own privacy obligations.

9. International Transfers

Some of our technology, website, payment, analytics or communication providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.

These safeguards may include:

transferring information to a country recognised as providing an adequate level of protection;
using approved contractual safeguards;
applying a legally recognised transfer mechanism; or
relying on another lawful exception where appropriate.

You can contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.

10. How Long We Keep Personal Information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, warranty, security and dispute-resolution requirements.

Retention periods may vary according to the type of information. For example:

general enquiries may be retained for a reasonable period after the enquiry has concluded;
customer, watch and service records may be retained to provide service history, warranty support and evidence of authorised work;
financial and transaction records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
marketing records may be retained until consent is withdrawn or an objection is received;
suppression records may be kept to ensure that marketing preferences continue to be respected;
CCTV footage, where used, will normally be retained for a limited period unless required for an investigation, claim or legal proceeding; and
complaint and dispute records may be retained for as long as necessary to investigate the issue and protect legal rights.

When information is no longer required, we will delete it, anonymise it or securely dispose of it.

11. How We Protect Personal Information

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against:

unauthorised access;
accidental loss;
misuse;
alteration;
disclosure; and

These measures may include:

access controls;
passwords and authentication;
secure systems and storage;
website security tools;
staff confidentiality requirements;
controlled access to customer and repair records;
secure disposal procedures; and
appropriate arrangements with service providers.

No internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. However, we regularly consider the risks associated with the personal information we process and take proportionate steps to protect it.

12. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

Be informed

You have the right to receive clear information about how your personal information is collected and used.

Request access

You may ask for confirmation that we process your personal information and request a copy of the information we hold about you.

Request correction

You may ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or complete information that is incomplete.

Request deletion

You may ask us to delete personal information in certain circumstances. This right does not apply where we are legally required or otherwise entitled to retain the information.

Restrict processing

You may ask us to restrict the way we use your information in certain circumstances.

Object to processing

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain circumstances.

You have an absolute right to object to your personal information being used for direct marketing.

Data portability

In certain circumstances, you may request that information you provided to us be transferred to you or another organisation in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Withdraw consent

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Challenge automated decisions

You may have rights relating to decisions made solely through automated processing where those decisions have legal or similarly significant effects.

Alpha Group does not currently expect to make significant decisions about customers using solely automated processing.

Some rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions. We may need to request information to confirm your identity before responding to a request.

To exercise a right, contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

13. Data Protection Complaints

Please contact Alpha Group first if you have a concern or complaint about how your personal information has been handled.

Complaints can be submitted using the contact details at the end of this policy. Please include enough information to help us understand and investigate your concern.

We will:

provide a clear way for you to make a complaint;
acknowledge your complaint within 30 days;
take appropriate steps to investigate it without undue delay;
keep you informed about its progress where appropriate; and
communicate the outcome of our investigation.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

You can find current contact information and guidance through the Information Commissioner’s Office website. You may contact the ICO at any stage, although it will often be helpful to raise the issue with Alpha Group first so we have an opportunity to address it.

14. Children’s Personal Information

Our services and website are not specifically directed towards children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing purposes. Where a person under the age of 18 contacts us about a watch or service, we may request the involvement or authorisation of a parent, guardian or responsible adult where appropriate.

15. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations, including social media platforms, mapping services and payment providers.

Alpha Group is not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites. We recommend reading the privacy policy of any external website before providing personal information.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect:

changes to our services;
changes to the information we collect;
new technology or service providers;
changes to our business operations; or
legal and regulatory developments.

The latest version will be published on this page with the updated revision date.

We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.

17. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your data protection rights or to make a complaint, contact:

Find the right carefor your watch.