Day in, day out, the same routine is repeated. Immigrant worker Tobias Horvath gets up at 5:00 A.M., washes, shaves, has some breakfast, and runs to the main square. Here, in his Swiss town, he catches a bus to work, closing his eyes but realizing the horror of his existence. For ten years, Tobias has worked in a clock factory and in the relentless sound of ticking, he sees life go by without much expectation. Born in Eastern Europe, Tobias grew up in poverty, the son of a thief, beggar and prostitute. As a young teenager, he finds out who his father is. One night, Tobias knifes his father in the back, and escape to Switzerland. Now ten years later, his hope in life now is to find Line, an ideal woman lost in his imagination. One day, Tobias sees Caroline, a former school pal from the East. His dreams seemingly become shattered as Caroline is married and has a daughter. A series of surprise events further obstructs their relationship, but Tobias perseveres. He has little to lose.