Who we accept
The Balance Wheel only carries advertising that is relevant to watchmaking, watch collecting and the wider horology trade — movements and parts, cases, dials and hands, straps and bracelets, bench tools, timing and testing equipment, and the training and services around them.
To avoid competing with our own shop, we do not accept advertising from businesses that sell the same product categories we stock to the same audience. Adjacent and complementary businesses in the same niche are welcome.
What we accept
Subject to review, we will consider campaigns from:
- Movement, parts, dial, hand and case manufacturers and brands running awareness or product-launch campaigns (not selling direct in competition with our catalogue)
- Watchmaking schools, courses, apprenticeship schemes and awarding bodies (BHI, WOSTEP and equivalents)
- Timing-machine, pressure-tester and microscope makers, and calibration, repair and hire services
- Independent watchmakers, restorers, dial refinishers, engravers and case polishers offering trade services
- Recruitment and staffing agencies serving the watch and jewellery trades
- Trade associations and industry events — watch fairs, collector meets, auctions and conferences
- Software and digital services for the trade — workshop management, job tracking, valuation and inventory tools
- Precious-metal recovery, WEEE compliance and environmental services
- Watch and workshop insurance, valuation and finance providers
- Trade and enthusiast media — publications, newsletters, podcasts and educational content
If you are not sure whether you fit, ask us before you book.
What we don’t accept
- Retailers, distributors or resellers offering the product categories The Balance Wheel stocks — movements and movement parts, cases, crystals, dials, hands, straps, bracelets, and watchmaker's tools — to the same UK audience
- Anything outside the watchmaking and watch-collecting niche, including general consumer products and services
- Adult content, gambling and betting, tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, weapons and ammunition
- Cryptocurrency, tokens, speculative or high-risk investment schemes, and “get rich” or multi-level-marketing offers
- Payday lending, debt-management and other high-cost credit
- Counterfeit watches, parts or tools, replica dials or hands carrying another maker's trademark, and grey-market goods that do not meet UK safety or trading-standards requirements
- Misleading, unsubstantiated or comparative claims that cannot be evidenced
- Politically or religiously partisan campaigns, and campaigns on divisive social issues
- Anything that disparages The Balance Wheel, our staff, our community or our suppliers
Creative standards
- Every advert is labelled as advertising and is visually distinct from The Balance Wheel content
- Creative must not imitate our branding, layout, editorial voice or user-interface elements, or be designed to look like site content, a system message or a search result
- No auto-playing audio or video, no expanding, floating, pop-up or interstitial formats, and nothing that obstructs the page
- One click leads to one clearly identified landing page; no forced downloads, redirect chains or deceptive destinations
- No third-party ad tags, trackers, fingerprinting or data collection beyond the single click-through we record
- Supply artwork at the published placement size, under 200 KB, in JPG, PNG or static WebP; we host the image and the click link
- Landing pages must be secure (HTTPS), functional and free of malware
Legal & regulatory
All advertising must be lawful and must comply with UK law and the relevant advertising codes, including the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, and data-protection and privacy law (UK GDPR and PECR). Advertising for regulated sectors — including finance, insurance and credit — must carry the disclosures those sectors require and come from appropriately authorised businesses. You are responsible for holding any permissions, licences or rights your campaign needs, including rights to all images, logos and copy you supply. We do not accept anything unlawful.
Review & control
- Every campaign and every piece of creative is reviewed before it goes live
- We may ask for changes, evidence for claims, or proof of authorisation before approving a campaign
- We can pause, decline or remove any advert at any time, at our discretion, including after it has gone live
- Placements are sold on a shared rotation and are not exclusive unless a booking says so in writing
- Acceptance of an advert is not an endorsement; responsibility for the advertised product or service stays with the advertiser
- These guidelines can change; the version in force is the one published here at the time your campaign runs
Questions about a campaign? Send an enquiry or email admin@watchmakingwebsite.com.