Antikythera Mechanism Dial
The ancient Greek computer
Free
The oldest known geared computer, raised from a shipwreck in 1900–1901, revived on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Next eclipse: February 6, 2027.
In 1900–1901, divers raised corroded lumps of bronze from an ancient shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera. They were the remains of the Antikythera mechanism, built in the 2nd or 1st century BC: the oldest known geared computer, an astronomical calculator that showed the positions of the Sun and the Moon, the phase of the Moon and, according to its inscriptions, the planets, and that predicted eclipses. Its fragments are kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
This app brings its front dial back to life, after the reconstruction by Freeth et al. (University College London, 2021), and computes it exactly as its gears did.
TURN THE CRANK
The Sun, the Moon with its phase, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn move around the zodiac ring. On Apple Watch the Digital Crown is the crank; on iPhone and iPad a wheel runs through hours, days, lunar months and years.
TAP A CELESTIAL BODY
Each card gives the sign, the position, the motion and, for the Moon, the phase, the lit fraction and the age.
THE NEXT ECLIPSE ACCORDING TO THE MACHINE
A countdown to the next eclipse predicted by the machine, with the Saros dial's announcement, compared with the real eclipse when it is known.
THE MECHANISM REVEALED (iPhone and iPad, iOS 18 or later)
Lift the bronze plate: the wheels of the reconstructed mechanism turn with the pointers. Fast playback, back view, exploded view, and the status of each part: surviving, reconstructed or hypothetical.
THE REAL SKY (iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later, and Apple Watch with a compass)
Raise your iPhone or iPad: with the compass and the motion sensors, each pointer aims at the real Sun, Moon and planets. Switch between "Sky" and "Machine" to see how far the ancient machine drifts from the sky. Direction depends on the compass (about 5 to 15°). Your location stays on the device, except when you calibrate your Apple TV: it is then sent directly to it, rounded to about ten kilometres, over your local network; without it, pick a city. On an Apple Watch with a compass (Series 5 or later, SE, Ultra), the same mode is in Settings.
MACHINE 2.0
An optional modern design, not a reconstruction: eight planets including Uranus and Neptune, Kepler orbits approximated by mechanisms, the Gregorian calendar and the solar system seen from above (iPhone, iPad). The historical machine remains the default.
ON APPLE WATCH
A full-screen app with its patinated bronze dial, a quiet Always On display, and complications for your watch faces (mini dial, Sun and Moon, planets, next eclipse) plus a Smart Stack widget. The app is not a watch face: watchOS does not allow third-party watch faces.
ON iPHONE AND iPAD
Widgets for the Home Screen and Lock Screen (and StandBy on iPhone), plus a black bedside mode with a red night palette. With “Compass”, lay your iPhone or iPad flat: the machine's dial turns so its Sun hand points at the real Sun around you.
ON APPLE TV
The same app on your TV: the dial on the big screen with the bodies' full names, the crank on the remote, the Mechanism, and Real Sky once the Apple TV is calibrated with your iPhone (Apple TV 4K).
ANCIENT MUSIC
If you wish, the app softly plays ancient melodies in its own synthesis: Hurrian Hymn No. 6, the Seikilos Epitaph and the Delphic Hymns (iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV).
In nine languages, with the zodiac and Egyptian month inscriptions in your language or in ancient Greek; the calendar ring shows the Egyptian months or our modern months.
No account, no ads, no data collected, no internet connection: only a local link between your own iPhone and Apple TV.
Antikythera mechanism reconstruction by taciclei (CC BY 4.0); after T. Freeth et al., Scientific Reports 11, 5821 (2021). WMM2025 magnetic model (NOAA, BGS).
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
• Real Sky for Machine 2.0: hold your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch up to the sky and each hand of the 2.0 dial points to its body, Uranus and Neptune included (hollow rings: Uranus barely visible to the naked eye, Neptune with binoculars). On Apple TV, the Real Sky shows the nine bodies of the 2.0 too.
• The "Machine" layer shows the gap between the machine and the sky. The 2.0 Real Sky covers 2000 to 2050.
• iPhone: seen from below, the Real Sky dial now reads the right way round.
• Complications and Top Shelf still show the historical machine.
Thank you for using Antikythera Mechanism Dial!
The developer, taciclei souza hortencio, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- taciclei souza hortencio
- Size
- 52.6 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.0 or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later. - Apple TV
Requires tvOS 17.0 or later. - Apple Watch
Requires watchOS 10.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
English and 8 more
- English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 taciclei