A stunning and very unusual pocket travel alarm clock made in Switzerland by Jaeger LeCoultre, reference 11016. These clocks are based on the famous JLC Memovox, the name coming from the Latin "voice of memory". The clock is a classic LeCoultre design,, such as those made in the early part of the 20th Century, models like the Ados. The stand folds back on itself to cover and protect the dial. This model is finished in gold plate with an engraved pattern to the exterior, known as a hobnail pattern, and is exceptionally done.

The hobnail technique, traditionally known in French as Clous de Paris, is one of the more distinctive forms of decorative metalwork found in fine jewellery and watchmaking. Characterised by a closely arranged series of small pyramidal points, the pattern creates a surface that appears almost textile-like from a distance, yet reveals remarkable geometric precision when viewed closely.

Hobnail belongs to the broader tradition of guilloché, or engine turning, in which patterns are cut directly into the surface of metal. The craft became particularly important in European watchmaking during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Abraham-Louis Breguet was among its great proponents, introducing engine-turned decoration to his watch dials in the late eighteenth century. These patterns were not purely ornamental. They helped reduce reflections while allowing different areas of a dial to be distinguished through texture alone.

Clous de Paris is created through intersecting cuts that leave behind hundreds of tiny pyramidal forms. Traditionally executed using a straight-line engine, the precision required is considerable. Rather than adding decoration to the surface, the craftsman removes minute amounts of metal around each point. The remaining facets interact with light, alternating between brightness and shadow as the object moves.

This effect is particularly beautiful in gold. A polished surface produces broad areas of reflection, while hobnail breaks the light into countless smaller flashes. In jewellery it has been used across rings, bracelets, cufflinks, dress sets and precious objects, providing visual complexity without the addition of gemstones. Its strong geometry also made it particularly suited to the increasingly architectural jewellery designs of the twentieth century.

Within watchmaking, hobnail became an important part of the traditional vocabulary of guilloché. Perhaps its most recognisable use can be found on the bezels of Patek Philippe’s Calatrava watches. The manufacture introduced a Clous de Paris bezel on the Ref. 96D in 1934, transforming the otherwise restrained Calatrava case with a narrow border of beautifully executed geometric decoration. The idea would later become particularly associated with references such as the 3919 and 5119.

The beauty of hobnail lies in this restraint. A relatively simple surface is given depth, movement and character without changing its underlying form. There are no additional materials and no applied ornament. The effect comes entirely from the manipulation of the metal itself and the way those minute facets respond to light.

On vintage pieces, the condition of a hobnail surface can also provide an indication of how carefully an object has survived. Repeated polishing gradually softens the peaks and reduces the definition between them. On a well-preserved example, such as this, the individual pyramids remain crisp and clearly separated, much like the sharp edges of an unpolished vintage watch case.

It is a small detail, but one rooted in an extraordinary degree of craftsmanship. Hobnail demonstrates something that the finest jewellery and watchmaking have long understood: precious metal does not necessarily need further embellishment. In the right hands, the surface of the metal itself can provide all the decoration required.

The clock is powered by the LeCoultre caliber 911 which is exactly the same as those used in the Memovox alarm wristwatch.  It comprises of a manually wound movement that has two crowns; A top crown which winds and sets an alarm. A bottom crown which winds and sets the time. The movement was introduced by LeCoultre in 1964, and was in production until 1979.  

With regard to the dial, it is very much the classic Memovox design. The inner, alarm disc is a slightly more golden colour to the more yellow outer area featuring the radium lume along the chapter ring, and bold black painted Roman numerals. The dial is also marked "T Swiss T" at the foot of the dial below the six o'clock marker confirming the application of the Tritium material. The hands are an unusual baton design, with black edges and and yellwo center, also lume filled about half way through, and matching the makers and all original.

This piece is fully stamped with reference numbers and serial numbers stamped onto the back, and the movement fully signed Jaeger LeCoultre, dating circa 1970.  Everything on the piece is original and unrestored. 

The watch clock does not have any paperwork or original box. It is keeping excellent time and the alarm is fully functional.