A first-person project write-up in IEEE Spectrum describes how a modest clockmaking idea evolved into something far more unusual: the Scanwheel, a portable wide-screen electromechanical television. The author says they never set out to work on the cutting edge of electromechanical TV, but the engineering pulled the project in that direction.
The finished device is described as pocket-size, which makes it a notably compact example of a mechanical television. Its wide-screen format adds a modern twist to a technology that is normally associated with early, small-format receivers.
Since this is a single first-person source, there are no conflicting accounts to compare. The story is presented as a personal engineering journey, not a product review or a technical comparison.