in an electronic timepiece including a battery , a time count circuit for counting reference clock signals from an oscillator and a display unit for displaying the counted values of the time count circuit , there is provided a switching mechanism for controlling a function other than a time count function . a battery set signal which is generated upon incorporation of a battery into the body of the timepiece is temporarily held in a holding circuit . the timepiece includes a switching circuit which , when the switching mechanism is operated , permits a switching operation signal for controlling a function other than the time count function to be switched by the output of a signal holding circuit to a switching operation signal for controlling a time setting function . the timepiece further includes a counter in which the contents are counted by the latter switching operation signal . the output of the counter is delivered as an instruction for time counting . after the time count circuit completes its time setting operation , the signal holding circuit releases its hold state to permit the switching mechanism to return to the state of the normal time function .