Cafe echoes iconic Swiss timepiece's Art Deco flair
Jaeger-LeCoultre's Art Deco Cafe in Shanghai celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Reverso watch.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is inaugurating the Art Deco Cafe in Shanghai, an elegant and convivial new venue created to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, a timepiece considered an icon of Art Deco design.
The pop-up cafe at K11 art mall runs until August 15, offering guests the chance to fully immerse themselves in the style and ambiance of the period when the Reverso came to life.
With the interior of a 1930s ocean liner and the glamor of a film set, Art Deco Cafe features a black-and-white palette infused with warm light. The design incorporates signature Art Deco materials, such as chrome, velvet, glass and lacquered wood, and includes a marble floor with an inlaid geometric pattern typical of the era.
A frosted-glass chandelier dominates the center of the room, while the chairs feature three metal bands that echo the three gadroons on a Reverso case.
Art Deco style came into vogue in the 1920s, and was distinguished by streamlined geometry that rejected traditional ornamentation. Created in 1931, the Reverso carried the same spirit of modernity and progress. With functionality and a distinctive aesthetic, it was a radical departure from the norms of traditional watch design.
Pastries have been created exclusively for the Art Deco Café, and a rectangular confection of hazelnuts and chocolate pays direct tribute to Art Deco style.
Completing the design of the cafe, a special collection of cakes and pastries has been created by Paris-based Nina Métayer, a two-time "pastry chef of the year." Métayer designed these sweet treats not only to echo the Art Deco aesthetic of the interior design, but also to take guests on a journey to Jaeger-LeCoultre's home in the Vallée de Joux. She uses flavors from the vallée, such as mountain berries, nuts, honey and, of course, Swiss chocolate.
"What greatly appealed to me about this collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre was the idea of bringing together two very different expressions of craftsmanship into one project," said Métayer. "The pastry chef and the watchmaker share the same deep values, and our gestures are driven by the same desire: not to create for ourselves but to excel for the pleasure of the recipient."
Chef Nina Métayer
