i first read about the curta in a william gibson novel and wasn’t sure if it was real or not, wikipedia, monoscope and ebay all confirm it’s existence.
“The Curta Mechanical Calculator had 605 parts and required no electricity; it operated by means of a handcrank at the top, earning it the nickname of The Pepper Grinder Calculator, and made a pleasing mechanical purr as the parts moved.
It was designed by Curt Herzstark while he was a prisoner in a concentration camp.”
via monoscope