Screw-down pushers are chronograph buttons that can be locked mechanically, so they cannot be pressed by accident. They usually show that a watch was built for more exposure to water. Pressing a pusher underwater can break the seals unless the watch was designed for use when submerged, and a locking pusher guards against that risk.
How do screw-down pushers work?
Each pusher on the chronograph can be screwed down to lock it in place. While locked, it cannot be pressed. Before the wearer can start, stop or reset the chronograph, they have to unscrew the pushers. Only then do the buttons work as normal. The design is simple in principle: a button that is held fast against movement cannot be pushed by mistake, whatever the wearer is doing.
What are the drawbacks of screw-down pushers?
Compared with ordinary pump pushers, screw-down pushers take longer to use and feel less smooth in the hand. The extra security costs speed. Each time the wearer wants the chronograph, they must first unscrew the pushers, so it takes longer to reach. The choice is between a button that is quicker to use and one that cannot be pressed by accident.
How did Rolex use screw-down pushers on the Daytona?
Rolex’s Daytona reference 6240, launched in 1965, was the first Daytona to have water-resistant screw-down pushers. The change mattered beyond the buttons. With screw-down pushers, the Daytona case qualified as an official Rolex Oyster case for the first time. On the modern Daytona, the chronograph pushers screw down tightly against the case, in the same way as the winding crown.
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