Electronic kits
A microcontroller computes the cipher and the "rotors" are a display. Great for learning the maths, but the machine itself is software.
Founders' Edition · reservations open
The double step,
fully working mechanical and electrical Enigma machine
Enigma Doublestep is a full-size, working mechanical Enigma I replica with no chip inside. Press a key and real pawls step real rotors, including the famous double step of the middle rotor that gives us our name. Then current runs through the wiring and lights the cipher letter, as it did in the original.
- 3 of 5rotors, I to V
- 26plugboard sockets
- 26lamps, 4.5 V
- 0microcontrollers
Why this one
Many Enigma replicas fake the hard part.
Display props
They look right on a shelf. Press a key and nothing happens, or the rotors turn while nothing is enciphered.
This machine
Every keypress moves real parts: a key lever, a bail, a pawl carrier, three pawls, ratchets and notch rings. The current then takes the same path it took in 1940. You can open it and follow every wire.
How it works
One keypress, five things happen.
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01Key down
Each of the 26 keys is a lever under the deck. All of them press one common bail, which pulls the pawl carrier forward by exactly one step: 360°/26, or 13.85°.
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02Pawls catch ratchets
Three spring-loaded pawls ride on the carrier. Pawl 1 always catches the right rotor's ratchet. Pawls 2 and 3 rest on the next rotor's notch ring and can only drop in when a notch comes round.
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03The double step
When the middle rotor reaches its turnover letter, pawl 3 drops into its notch and pushes the middle and the left rotor together. So the middle rotor steps on two keypresses in a row:
ADU → ADV → AEW → BFX. This quirk of the Enigma's pawl-and-ratchet stepping is where our name comes from. Software emulates it; here no code makes it happen. The geometry does. -
04Current finds a lamp
Only after the rotors settle does the key's switch close. 4.5 V runs through the plugboard, the entry wheel, three rotors and the reflector, then back by a different route to one of 26 lamps. A letter can never light itself, just like on the original.
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05Plugboard swaps
26 sockets on the front. Each crossed cable swaps two letters before and after the rotors. Ten cables alone give 150,738,274,937,250 possible plugboard settings.
Try the lampboard
IA
IIA
IIIA
in
out
Click a key or type. Start at AAA and type AAAAA: a real Enigma I answers BDZGO.
Rotors I-II-III, reflector B, no plugs. The full machine adds ring settings, five rotors and the plugboard.
Inside the machine
Engineered part by part.
Try it
Take it apart in your browser.
The same engineering model we build from. Type a message, slow time down to watch the pawls, switch on x-ray to follow the current, plug in cables and explode the rotor stack.
About 1 MB · works on phones · open full screen
Specifications
Built to the original's logic.
An original design made from public historical specifications. It runs the real Enigma I cipher, so it can read and write messages made on any Enigma I or faithful simulator.
Prototype specification. Details may change as we test.
- Cipher
- Enigma I, 3-rotor. Test vector: rotors I-II-III, rings AAA, start AAA,
AAAAA → BDZGO - Rotors
- Five rotors (I–V) with the historical wirings; choose three. Adjustable ring settings.
- Reflector
- UKW-B fitted. UKW-A and UKW-C planned as options.
- Stepping
- Pawl and ratchet with notch rings, including the true middle-rotor double step.
- Keyboard
- 26 keys in the original QWERTZ layout. Rotors step before the contact closes.
- Lampboard
- 26 warm-white lamps (LEDs) behind letter windows.
- Plugboard
- 26 switched sockets on the front panel, 10 cables included.
- Power
- 3 × AA (4.5 V), on/off switch, battery hatch. No microcontroller, no firmware.
- Size
- About 340 × 280 × 150 mm, the original case size.
- Build
- Prototype: 3D-printed PLA/PETG, steel shaft, spring contacts, paintable. Every printed part fits a 200 mm printer.
Founders' Edition
Reserve one of the first 100 machines.
Reserving is free. No payment today and no obligation. Founders get first access, the founders' price below, a numbered maker's plate and their name in the build credits. We'll email you a firm date and the final price before anyone pays a cent.
Maker Kit
You print, we supply the rest
€199founders' price
- Every non-printed part: spring contacts, brass screws, key switches, sockets, lamps, springs, shaft and rods
- 10 plugboard cables
- Print files and a step-by-step build and wiring guide
- You need a 200 mm FDM printer and a soldering iron
Complete Kit
All parts, ready to build
€649founders' price
- Everything in the Maker Kit
- All printed parts, printed and checked by us
- Pre-labelled wiring harness
- A rewarding multi-weekend build
Assembled
Built, wired and tested
€1,490founders' price
- Assembled, wired and tested by us
- Hand-finished case
- Five rotors, reflector B, 10 cables
- Ready to encipher out of the box
Indicative prices in euros, including VAT. Shipping for your country is shown before you pay anything.
Where we are
From printer to production.
- Design and simulationCipher engine, stepping geometry checked against all 17,576 rotor positions, interactive 3D model.
- 3D-printed prototypeRotor unit first, then keyboard, lampboard, plugboard and case. Every part prints on a 200 mm printer.
- Founders' EditionThe first numbered machines and kits, built in small batches.
- Production editionMoulded parts and a wooden case, if demand is there. Your reservation tells us.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Does it really work with no electronics?
Yes. There are switches, wires, spring contacts, a battery and 26 LEDs used as lamps. There is no microcontroller, no firmware and no code. The cipher is the wiring inside the rotors, and the stepping is done by pawls and ratchets.
Is it compatible with a real Enigma I?
Yes. It uses the historical wirings of rotors I–V and reflector B, the same stepping (with the double step) and the same plugboard logic. With the same settings it gives the same output as an original Enigma I or a faithful simulator.
What does reserving commit me to?
Nothing. A reservation is a place on the list, not an order, and we take no payment. When Founders' Edition orders open, you'll get the final price and a delivery estimate first and can decide then. On a paid order you keep your full 14-day right of withdrawal under EU/EEA consumer law.
When will it ship?
The prototype is being printed and tested now. We won't take money until the design is proven, and we'll email reservers a firm date before orders open.
Can I print it myself?
Yes. That's the Maker Kit: we supply the hardware that can't be printed, plus the files and the guide. Every printed part fits a 200 × 200 × 200 mm build volume. You need patience with print time and basic soldering.
Is this an official or licensed Enigma?
No. It's an original design made from public historical specifications. The original patents expired long ago. "Enigma" is used here to describe the historical machine our replica works like. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any trademark holder, museum or the makers of the original machines.
Does it carry wartime insignia?
No. The machine carries no wartime emblems or insignia. It's for learning how the cipher worked and how it was broken, and for enjoying a beautiful piece of engineering.
Do you do schools, museums or escape rooms?
Yes, we'd love to. Choose "Teaching or a museum" (or "Puzzles, escape rooms, events") in the form and we'll get in touch about classroom sets and display versions.
Privacy, briefly
No tracking cookies and no third-party trackers by default. Fonts and images are served from this site. If you reserve, we store your email and your answers only to tell you about the Founders' Edition, and we delete them on request. Read the full privacy note.