The paper note (since lost) attached to the device read: "I'm returning this device for a full refund. It is so inaccurate, it'll be a miracle if we make it back to Syracuse without hitting the shoals near Antikythera." At 10:20 PM 12/10/2012, Marc LeBrun wrote:
="Henry Baker" <hbaker1@pipeline.com>
1. The Antikythera device was clearly a scaled-down version of previous devices, some of which were probably made over 100 years prior.
2. The Antikythera device was in _volume production_, ... Why bother designing & building a clever anomaly mechanism if it didn't work at the end of the day?
Another *possibility* is that this particular instance of the (presumably) mass produced, scaled-down Antikythera device that was found was a kind of model, not necessarily fully functional nor intended to work perfectly, but instead was a sort of sample prototype or template which was accompanied by (perhaps implicitly understood?) instructions like:
"Make one of these. Only bigger. And don't forget to calibrate it."
So much time, so little known.