Thought I'd get this started in an effort to catalog all of the different styles of chronograph pushers that Universal has used over the years.

I am aware of several different style pushers. I'd propose the following terminology to discuss them:
1) Large mushroom pushers
2) Small mushroom pushers
3) Small, non-waterproof mushroom pushers
4) Sharp edged mushroom pushers
5) Flat pushers
6) Oval pushers
7) Flat, rounded pushers
8) Rubber pushers (Space Compax)
9) Experimental
10) Large, pointed mushroom pushers

I'll point them out below.


Above we see examples of the Flat pusher (#76 and #73), Large Mushroom pusher (#75 and #77), and Small Mushroom pusher (#74).
These pictures come from the Antiquorum Universal brand auction. Interestingly, the auction note for #74 (and other small mushroom pushers on this style case) states: "This model bears small round push-buttons and was made in few examples".




Here I'll ask you to note a very subtle distinction: the Sharp edged mushroom pushers in #55 and #57 (and presumably in #56 too, before the edges were rounded with use in the softer, gold metal).


Here's an example of the oval pusher, which is typically seen on earlier period chronographs.


Here we have a #141, which the auction notes described as "Unusual stainless steel prototype of a gentleman's wristwatch with fancy button chronograph, registers and tachometer. I'm calling these "experimental" pushers. We also have the rubber pushers in the Space Compax (#142 and #143), and Large Mushroom pushers in #144.



Here we have a Flat, rounded pusher that is sometimes seen beginning with the very recent Universals from the 1990s to present.



We have this example from Sala, showing the Small, Non-Waterproof Mushroom pushers. This style is seldom seen and appears as a transitional variation between the flat pushers with snap backs (both were non-waterproof) to the waterproof mushroom pushers with screw down case backs.


Finally, we have this example of the Large, Pointed Mushroom Pushers, here seen on the rare, non-screw down waterproof caseback models.

 

Fantastic review and a great reference.

 

Thanks for the post and great work there. Appreciate it.

 

That's not too surprising as the flat pushers and large mushroom pushers are almost universally 1000x easier to find as spare parts compared to any of the other variants.

I've got a nice uni-compax missing one of the two sharp-edged mushroom pushers. I've been looking for a replacement for 2 years now. Suspect that I'll have to sacrifice one of his brothers at some point. Even the material houses that specialize/carry Universal parts think I'm absolutely nuts when I try to describe the sharp-edged mushroom pusher. Invariably they suggest that I just buy two of the large mushroom pusher and swap them both out to match...

I'm still looking.

 

Hello,somebony know if there exist the large water proof mushroom button,for aerocompax?
Or what other watch model can use for my aerocompax 24h 1960

 

Thank you. I again know more

 

Fully support Lous on that.

#144 is not a UG variation found on space compax. I think you will also find that the picture originates from an auction house and is not from a UG catalogue, brochure or extract.

 

Not sure how i missed this thread before but I'm glad i have now.

I had thought someone had mauled the pushers of this watch trying to get them out of the case and had damaged the end caps getting them off these stalks.

Now it appears they are just rare transitional pushers that never had the end caps



Thanks guys!

 

cool case. what about the dial ?

 

Completely not sure what to do about the dial. It looks nice but seems to have beginnings of verdigris advancing from the lower right towards the upper left. I did try asking whether anything could be done to clean anything off but no one seemed sure; and I didn't want to appear naive for seriously suggesting that anything on a dial could be cleaned!

 

Sorry I was not more clear, it's a redial. I'm not sure about some of the hands either.

 

So I may just go ahead and have it done properly if it gets really bad, -if those marks spread much more than is apparent at the moment.

Possibly by that firm in South America that does, from what I have seen, really good refinishing of chrono dials.

 

Resurrecting this old thread with a stupid question.
In case of solid gold cases, where the pushers and crown solid gold as well or where they gold plated?

 

I've always wondering this myself. I would tend to think they are plated but I don't know

 

you can definitely find solid gold crowns I think, but they are less common, and I don’t know about pushers