This year, Revolution turns 20. Two decades of chronicling watches, people and ideas have given us a front-row seat to a remarkable story: how an age-old craft has both preserved its soul and reinvented itself for the 21st century. To celebrate, we’ve chosen over 100 names and milestones that, for us, define the era so far. From leaders to watches, you can see the whole list here.

The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, launched in 2009, is a horological revolution disguised in Saxon elegance, a watch that redefined mechanical timekeeping with its audacious digital display. Blending futuristic clarity with traditional craftsmanship — yet with the inimitable German flavor— it stands as one of the most fascinating and groundbreaking timepieces of the past two decades, demonstrating that a 165-year-old Glashütte manufacture can still surprise the watch world.

In 2009, A. Lange & Söhne presented the Zeitwerk with a dial that featured jumping hours with a dual-disk mechanism to show the first and second numerals of the jumping minutes in two windows

The Zeitwerk’s genius lies in its rejection of conventional hands for two large jumping-disk apertures — hours on the left, minutes on the right with dual disks — evoking the look of the five-minute clock of the Dresden Opera House. This digital aesthetic, inspired by Günter Blümlein’s 2005 challenge to create a mechanical watch with digital readability, is powered by the L043.1 movement, a 388-component marvel. Its patented constant-force escapement, a dial-side remontoir, solves the energy challenge of advancing heavy disks every minute. By storing and releasing torque in precise one-minute bursts, it ensures chronometer-grade accuracy while orchestrating 1,440 daily jumps with a satisfying click, yet with a smooth, damped turn — a kinetic poetry that captivates.

The L043.1 movement

A. Lange & Söhne’s patented constant force escapement is the core technical element of all Zeitwerk models

Visually, the 41.9mm case — available in platinum, pink gold, yellow gold or white gold — houses a silver dial framed by a “time bridge,” a functional element anchoring the disks. The power reserve indicator at 12 and the small seconds at 6 balance the layout. In later versions, a pusher at 8 advances the date and another at 4 advances the hour separately from the minutes — particularly useful when moving to another time zone. The movement, with its 3/4-plate visible through the sapphire caseback, is a German silver cityscape of hand-engraved balance cocks, blued screws and black-polished bridges, merging pocket watch heritage with 21st century restraint.

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk (Image: Sotheby’s)

With fewer than 2,000 first-generation steel models made, and variants like the luminous Lumen or the chiming Striking Time, the Zeitwerk’s rarity fuels its legend. The Zeitwerk’s impact extends beyond its mechanics: it reimagines time’s visual language, blending avant-garde innovation with Lange’s uncompromising craftsmanship. From its snail cam’s futuristic whir to the hand-stitched alligator strap, every detail sings of precision and audacity. The Zeitwerk doesn’t just tell time — it makes time leap, proving that mechanical watchmaking can still drop the mic with a single, defiant click.

Tech Specs: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk

Movement: Manual winding (First Gen, 2009) Caliber L043.1, with constant-force escapement; 36-hour power reserve
Functions: Jumping hours, jumping minutes and small seconds
Case: 41.9mm × 12.6mm; 18K white gold, pink gold, yellow gold, or platinum; water resistant to 30m
Dial: Solid silver in ivory argenté, black, argenté or rhodié
Strap: Alligator leather with pin buckle