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How to operate a mecanical HEUER stopwatch ?

It happens you could have doubt(s) on how your vintage HEUER stopwatch works. Does the behaviour of this pusher is correct ? Does it work as it should have ?
This tutorial will explain you how to operate your vintage hand-held HEUER stopwatch (but it should also work with mecanical stopwatches from other manufacturers like Hanhart, Omega, Seiko, Breitling …). Major part of cases are studied but if yours is out of these explanations, don’t hesitate to send a message. You can also find additionnal information in the french Tag HEUER technical document, available here.

All mecanical stopwatches have a large central top button, called the crown, used to wind up the stopwatch. Depending on the stopwatch configuration other functions will be activated from the crown or additional pushers/sliders.

There are three main configurations :
-one command stopwatch (only the crown)
-two commands stopwatch
-three commands stopwatch

The crown

The crown is the main large top button, so typical of mecanical timers. Round or cylindrical, it should have stripes on its height, making it easier to turn on itself. By doing it, you’ll wind up the stopwatch, giving it energy to run.

As seen in the introduction, other functions could be activated from the crown or lateral commands.

One command stopwatch configuration

Start, stop and return to 0 by successive depressions of the crown.

usage

This configuration is perfect for simple measurement (one track timing, short chemical reaction …) but could be limited for more complex timing operations as it is not possible to pause and restart it.

Two commands stopwatch configuration

Lateral pusher

A lateral pusher add new functionnality(es) to the pusher like fly-back return, time-out and resume timing or split-second and taylor complications.

Time-out with lateral locked return pusher

  • Start, stop (time-out) and restart on by successive depressions of the crown.
  • Reset to zero, when the timer is stopped by side push. When running the reset button is locked to prevent accidental reset.

usage : great to time an event which could be interrupted like a sport event.

Lateral fly-back return pusher

  • Start, stop and restart by successive depressions of the crown.
  • Reset to 0, by side push. The timer keeps running after reset.

usage : useful to time short cycling events. (more information on the flyback complication here)

Lateral split-second pusher

  • Start, stop and return to zero by successive depressions of the crown. (like the 1 command function).
  • Stop the split hand by side push. Let the split hand catch up the second hand by a second pression of the side push.

usage : split-second complication allows operator to read a time while the stopwatch is still running. This complication is mostly available with 3 commands stopwatches (more information on the split function here.

Lateral taylor function pusher

  • Taylor reset by depression of the crown : hands recorder and registers go back to 0 and restart while the split hand is stopped.
  • Catching up the split hand to register hand by depression of the lateral pusher.
  • Note a Taylor stopwatch has permanent running mecanism. It stops when its barrel is fully unwound.

usage : taylor function mixes split-second and flyback complication. It’s an advanced and pretty rare complication designed to time cycling event or lap (it is also sometime named lap function).

Lateral slider

Lateral pusher is replaced by a slider when :
* Operator has to time in a noiseless environment.
* Function activated by the lateral command has to be prevent from an accidental push.

Time-out with lateral slider

  • Start, stop and return to 0 by successive depressions of the crown. (like the one command function).
  • Time out and restart by lateral slider.

usage : design to time sport events and more generaly events which can be interrupted.

Fly-back crown and start/stop lateral slider

  • Return to zero by depression of the crown. The timer restarts immediately after beeing reseted (fly-back function).
  • Stop and restart by lateral slider.

Three commands stopwatch configuration

Locked-reset and stop pushers

  • Start and restart by depressions of the crown.
  • Stop by depression of the left side button.
  • Reset by depression of the right side button.

Restart and reset function are enabled only when the stopwatch is stopped.

usage : this configuration features multipurpose and large public timers like trackmaster ranges. It could be considered the three buttons offers an easiest way to time interrupted events like sport meeting or training sessions.

Split-second function and locked-reset pushers

  • Start, stop and restart by successive depressions of the crown.
  • Stop and restart the split hand by successive depressions of the left side button.
  • Reset by depression of the right side button. (The pusher is locked while the timer is running).

usage : split-second complication allows to read a time while the stopwatch is still running. (more information on the split function here).