Botch timeline, essentially set back by minute (6)
I believe the answer is:
muffle
'back by minute' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I can't see?
'botch timeline essentially set' is the wordplay.
'botch' becomes 'muff' (synonyms).
'essentially' means to look at the middle letters.
'set' indicates an anagram (instruction to set the letters).
The centre of 'timeline' is 'el'.
'el' is an anagram of 'le'.
'muff'+'le'='MUFFLE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for muffle that I've seen before include "silence" , "Deaden, a sound or noise" , "Smother sound" , "Keep warm" , "Conceal" .)