Timeburner by Miki Eleta and “powered” by Marc Jenni

tack–tack–tack–tack–tack–tack

tack–tack–tack–tack–tack–tack

tack–tack–tack–tack–tack–tack

Miki Eleta reminisces about this sound that still haunts him both in his sleep and during his waking, working hours.

But it isn’t the tick-tock of a timepiece that his subconscious remembers. It’s something else: the distinctive acoustics of the large two-cylinder boxer engine of a 1950s BMW motorbike.

Miki Eleta’s father was a train driver and his proximity to these large machines helped instill a life-long love of mechanics

Eleta’s father was a train driver and this proximity to large machines instilled a love of all things mechanical in him. Miki was expert at taking apart the family Vespa and bicycles and putting them back together back at his then-home in Visegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Who would have thought that his path would lead him to finer, cleaner, and less noisy mechanics? And in Switzerland of all places?

Miki Eleta on an old BMW motorbike similar to that which inspired the Timeburner

But here he is: a member of the AHCI since 2008, showcasing his incredible kinetic sculptures alongside some thirty-odd other artisans of varying nationality.

And, indeed, if there was ever a year to bring out a collaborative wristwatch, this year would definitely be it. After all, the AHCI was created with the spirit of diversity and collaboration in mind 30 years ago this year.

Miki Eleta and Marc Jenni: a dream team

Timeburner represents Eleta’s premier foray into the wristwatch while also representing a nostalgic tribute of sorts to his childhood.

Marc Jenni, the watchmaker and fellow AHCI member who transformed Miki Eleta’s dream into a production wristwatch

Timeburner also represents the first instance of two AHCI members − Miki Eleta and Marc Jenni − publicly working together. Eleta (clockmaker/kinetic artist) came up with the concept and created a functioning prototype, while Jenni (watchmaker) developed and produces the production models. Miki Eleta’s name is on the dial, while the back of the nicely modified Unitas movement is engraved “Powered by Marc Jenni.”

Timeburner by Miki Eleta

While the visuals of the Timeburner are inspired in general by Eleta’s love for mechanics, forces, and motion, the specific elements of this timepiece originate in recreating the soul – not the actual features – of a 1950 BMW motorcycle that he grew up dreaming about one day owning.

The motorbike Miki Eleta dreamed of would have been similar to this beautifully restored BMW R51/2 from circa 1950 (photo courtesy www.bikesrestored.com)

The BMW he heard in both his dreams and in reality making the “tack-tack” sound unfortunately only belonged to his neighbor.

Eleta’s sense of design combines exceedingly well with Jenni’s pragmatic, energetic construction expertise. The result is simply irresistible: like an engine converting chemical energy (petrol) into mechanical energy (motion), this cool watch converts spark plug energy (winding the crown) into motion along a non-linear time scale.

View through the display back of the Timeburner revealing the nicely finished Unitas movement engraved “Powered by Marc Jenni”

The “engine” comprises a manually wound, converted Unitas 6497-1 movement that Jenni modified to fit the needs of the idiosyncratic Timeburner.

Its dial does not put the emphasis on the time, but is rather more of an unabashed celebration of the internal combustion engine.

Timeburner by Miki Eleta, powered by Marc Jenni

Hours are displayed in what superficially appears to be jump hours, but they actually rotate across a small arc at the bottom of the dial. It’s the minutes, though, that create all of the internal combustion engine action.