This privacy policy documents how FineTimepieces collects, uses, stores and shares the limited personal data we handle when you visit our site, read our reviews, sign up for our newsletter, or contact us. We have written this privacy policy to be readable rather than legalistic, while still meeting our obligations under the EU GDPR, the UK Data Protection Act, the California CCPA, the Indian DPDP Act, and analogous frameworks in other jurisdictions.
If at any point in this privacy policy you find a clause you do not understand or do not agree with, please write to us via the contact page. We respond to all privacy-related correspondence within 72 hours.
Data Controller
The data controller for the purposes of this privacy policy is FineTimepieces, contactable at privacy@finetimepieces.net. We are an independent watch-review publication and we do not share editorial or commercial control with any external party.
What We Collect
FineTimepieces collects very limited personal data. Specifically:
- Anonymised page-view analytics: We use first-party, privacy-conscious analytics to count page views and understand which reviews readers find useful. The data does not identify individual readers and is not shared with third parties.
- Newsletter sign-up details: If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address and the date of sign-up. We do not require a name or any other personal detail.
- Contact form submissions: When you write to us, we receive your message and your email address. We retain the correspondence for record-keeping and editorial reference.
- Server access logs: Standard web-server access logs (IP address, timestamp, requested URL, user agent) are retained for 30 days for security and abuse-prevention purposes.
We do not collect: financial data, government IDs, biometric data, geolocation beyond the country-level inference from IP, browsing history outside our site, social-media identifiers, or any data we do not have a clear editorial purpose for.
How We Use the Data
Each category of data has a specific, narrow purpose:
- Anonymised analytics: editorial planning (which review topics receive the most reader interest)
- Newsletter email addresses: delivery of the newsletter; nothing else
- Contact-form data: replying to your enquiry and retaining the conversation thread
- Server logs: security incident response and abuse prevention
We do not use any data for advertising, profiling, retargeting, behavioural marketing, or sale to third parties. This privacy policy reflects a commercial structure (zero affiliate revenue, zero sponsored content) that means we have no commercial use for reader data even if we wanted one.
Cookies and Tracking
FineTimepieces uses a minimal set of cookies. The cookies currently in use are:
- Strictly necessary cookies: Session cookies that enable basic site functionality. These do not identify you personally.
- Newsletter preference cookie (optional): If you sign up for the newsletter, a small cookie remembers your preference to show the sign-up form differently. You can decline this cookie via the consent banner.
We do not use: third-party advertising cookies, social-media tracking pixels, retargeting cookies, fingerprinting scripts, or any cookie set by a domain other than finetimepieces.net itself. The cookie banner you see on first visit reflects this minimal footprint.
Legal Basis for Processing
Under GDPR Article 6, we rely on the following legal bases for processing:
- Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Newsletter sign-up, optional cookies
- Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)): Anonymised analytics, server logs for security
- Contract performance (Article 6(1)(b)): Replying to contact-form submissions
For readers in other jurisdictions, the equivalent legal bases under your local framework apply. If you require specific documentation of legal basis under a non-EU framework, write to us at privacy@finetimepieces.net.
Data Retention
Our retention periods for each category:
- Newsletter email addresses: until you unsubscribe (one-click link in every newsletter), or 24 months of inactivity
- Contact-form correspondence: 36 months for editorial reference
- Server access logs: 30 days
- Analytics data: aggregated indefinitely, individual data points 24 months maximum
You may request deletion of your contact-form correspondence at any time by writing to privacy@finetimepieces.net with the subject line “Deletion request.”
Your Rights
This privacy policy respects the data-subject rights you hold under applicable law. Specifically you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
- Object to processing
- Request data portability in machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing
- Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority
To exercise any of these rights, write to privacy@finetimepieces.net. We respond to verified rights requests within 30 days as required by GDPR, and faster where possible.
Data Sharing
We do not share personal data with third parties for advertising, marketing or commercial purposes. Limited data may be shared with the following categories of service providers solely to operate the site:
- Hosting provider (web server infrastructure)
- Email service provider (newsletter delivery)
- CDN provider (image and static asset delivery)
Each service provider operates under a data-processing agreement that restricts use to providing the service. None has rights to use, sell or share your data for any independent purpose.
Data Security
We protect personal data through a layered set of technical and organisational measures:
- HTTPS encryption for all site traffic
- Application-password authentication with multi-factor option for administrative access
- Regular security updates to WordPress core, plugins and themes
- Login attempt limiting (Loginizer plugin) against brute-force attacks
- Daily backups with off-site retention
- Access to personal data restricted to the FineTimepieces editorial team on a need-to-know basis
In the event of a personal-data breach affecting reader data, we will notify affected readers and the relevant supervisory authority within the 72-hour window required by GDPR Article 33.
International Data Transfers
Our hosting and service providers may store data in jurisdictions outside your country of residence. Where data is transferred to a country without an EU adequacy decision, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent transfer mechanisms. A copy of the relevant SCCs can be requested via privacy@finetimepieces.net.
Children’s Privacy
FineTimepieces is a watch-review publication aimed at adult readers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, please write to us and we will delete the records promptly.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
This privacy policy is reviewed annually and may be updated to reflect changes in our practices or regulatory frameworks. The current version’s last-revision date appears at the top of this page. Material changes will be notified in our newsletter and on the FineTimepieces homepage.
Contacting Us About Privacy
For any privacy-related question, request or complaint, write to privacy@finetimepieces.net. We respond within 72 hours to confirm receipt and within 30 days for the substantive response. For broader editorial enquiries see our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this privacy policy apply to readers outside the EU?
Yes. The protections in this privacy policy apply to all readers regardless of location. Readers in jurisdictions with additional rights (California CCPA, Indian DPDP, etc.) hold those additional rights in full.
Does FineTimepieces sell reader data?
No. We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer personal data to third parties for commercial purposes. Our commercial structure (zero affiliate revenue) gives us no incentive to monetise reader data.
Can I read FineTimepieces without giving any data at all?
Yes. Reading reviews on the site requires only standard web-server access logs, which are deleted after 30 days and do not identify you personally. You can decline optional cookies via the consent banner and the site remains fully readable.
How do I unsubscribe from the newsletter?
Every newsletter contains a one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom. Clicking it removes your email from our list within 24 hours. You can also email privacy@finetimepieces.net to request immediate removal.