I've always loved the idea of steampunk probability — before random number generators, chance had to be mechanical.

So I built this: a brass-gear assembly where a small internal ball travels through labyrinth channels, and where it settles gives you a random result. The whole thing runs on gravity and machining tolerances. Seven different reading modes on one object, roughly pocket-watch sized.

The gear legs aren't just decorative — they keep the mechanism tilted at the right angle for the ball to flow.

Two questions for this community, because you folks know more about this aesthetic than anyone:

1. The finish options I'm debating: aged relic bronze vs. bright polished brass. For a piece like this, which reads more "authentic" to you?
2. What would YOU power with mechanical randomness in a steampunk world? I'm thinking fortune-telling machines and airship navigation.

Still refining the prototype, so roast the details — the more specific the better.

i’ve always loved designs that mix old machinery with futuristic ideas

the brass body, tiny gauges and glowing tubes make this feel less like a watch and more like a piece of fictional technology

curious what kind of steampunk character would wear something like this

Sorry for the poor picture quality, I'm still in the process of refining it. Any suggestions that don't involve superfluous vacuum tubes welcome 😊

I am an author and I like to listen to music when I'm writing. I am working on a Steampunk adventure. Any recommendations for steampunk music, or modern songs done in Steampunk-acoustic style? I know ragtime and marches were popular (and classical like Also Spruce Zarathustra is of the era). I've found some stuff on Apple Music: Steampunk-Ian Cecil Scott, Electro Swingers, Derek Fiechter.