Timepiece

A timepiece having at least one element intended for manual operation, said timepiece comprising, a rotatable control stem movable between at least two axial positions, a pinion having two axial faces and being loosely mounted on said stem, a coil spring positioned upon the stem and engaged between one axial face of the pinion and the frame of the timepiece, said spring being operable upon the opinion to urge the same for axial movement in one direction on the stem, said pinion having a frusto-conical recess (on the axial face) thereof opposite said one axial face, said stem having a shoulder of frusto-conical configuration adapted for mating engagement with said recess on the pinion, whereby when the stem is moved to one axial position thereof the shoulder engages the frusto-conical recess of the pinion to render the stem and pinion angularly rigid with respect to each other and the pinion is moved into meshed engagement with said element, the engagement between the stem and pinion being a friction coupling operable as a torque limitator.