Independent research · public funding transparency
Support The British Bench
The British Bench is independently developed and maintained as a public resource documenting modern British watchmaking. We are raising an initial £1,000 to support the research, infrastructure and continued development required to improve the project.
Contributions are handled securely by Crowdfunder. The British Bench does not collect or store payment-card information.
The British Bench is not a registered charity. Contributions are voluntary support towards the development and operation of the project. They are not charitable donations, investments, loans, shares or payments for provenance status or editorial treatment. No financial return is offered.
Initial £1,000 target
What your support will help fund
These are working allocations rather than rigid spending limits. Actual costs may vary as the project develops. Material changes will be explained through public funding updates.
| Area | Planned amount |
|---|---|
| Hosting, CMS, storage, development and security | £300 |
| Maker and collection research | £200 |
| Legal, policy and specialist review | £150 |
| Founder project expenses and delivery | £100 |
| Design and project communications | £75 |
| Contingency and additional project costs | £75 |
| Crowdfunder and payment-processing fees | Approx. £100 |
| Total | £1,000 |
The work
What the project is trying to achieve
The initial campaign supports the foundations of the work rather than promising that every future feature will be delivered from the first £1,000.
Research and public records
- Improve British watchmaker profiles and collection-level records.
- Expand provenance research and strengthen the evidence and corrections process.
- Continue development of the British Bench Provenance Framework.
- Obtain specialist advice where it is genuinely required.
Infrastructure and future capability
- Maintain reliable hosting, database and media infrastructure.
- Improve accessibility, performance and security.
- Support continued development and project communications.
- Lay groundwork for future maker tools and technical documentation.
Editorial independence
Support does not buy influence
The credibility of The British Bench depends on keeping financial support separate from editorial and provenance decisions. Supporting the project does not:
- guarantee that a maker will be listed;
- influence a provenance classification;
- purchase a higher provenance tier;
- alter the evidence required from a maker;
- secure favourable editorial coverage;
- prevent corrections or criticism;
- provide access to confidential maker evidence;
- provide control over the Provenance Framework.
Relevant commercial relationships and material support will be disclosed where appropriate.
The British Bench Provenance Framework is an editorial methodology designed to describe where and how substantive work relating to a watch has taken place. Its classifications are not certification, accreditation, legal country-of-origin determinations, quality awards, warranties, endorsements, or assessments of compliance with origin, advertising or consumer-protection rules.
Recognition by permission only
Founding Supporters
Everyone who contributes during this initial campaign may choose to be recognised as a Founding Supporter. There are no paid supporter tiers, contribution amounts are not published, and supporters are not ranked by contribution.
Founding Supporters who choose to be publicly recognised will be listed here.
Permanent public record
Funding Updates
Campaign milestones and material changes in the use of funds will be recorded here.
The first public funding update will appear here as the campaign develops.
Payments stay with Crowdfunder
The British Bench does not run a checkout, collect card details, store card numbers, handle Crowdfunder authentication or create recurring payments.
Contribution disclaimer
The British Bench is not a registered charity. Contributions are voluntary project support, not charitable donations, investments, loans, shares or payments for provenance status or editorial treatment. No financial return is offered.