C2 GraffitiGrey - London
C2 GraffitiGrey - London
Concord's C2 GraffitiGrey gets up with the Graffiti Circuit
In an unexpectedly daring move that pays tribute to the successful C2 GraffitiGrey chronograph, CONCORD launched the C2 GraffitiGrey Circuit. Officially introduced in the Old Shoreditch Tube Station, one of East London’s coolest underground venues, the C2 GraffitiGrey Circuit challenged a number of kings (real urban graffiti artists) from Paris, Milan and London to come with their own creative and personal interpretations of the C2 GraffitiGrey dressing up heaven spots in the urban world. Shoreditch is the hub of UK street art.
The C2 GraffitiGrey Circuit is in sync with CONCORD’s ear-to-the-street approach to the C2 GraffitiGrey – a tag in the world of contemporary watchmaking, combining 21st century style with an edgy monochromatic elegance. Coloured like the works of street art commissioned in its honour, the C2 GraffitiGrey’s 43mm diameter case is dressed up in black PVD-coated stainless steel with grey décor, presented on a black-stitched grey alligator strap with horizontal, tubular attachments.
London graffiti life artists, A + B, who almost always work as a tandem, commented on their work saying, “ Our signature style is realistic graffiti with a scrapbook feel which we used to bring a distinctive “London” feel to the work, incorporating the intricate design of the C2 as our inspiration, while working with a grey-scale palette.”
Paris artist Seeya, who has a ten-year career decorating the streets and abandoned buildings in French cities and abroad, described the Graffiti Circuit as a “cool project to be involved with. I was given a direction and then left to rock.”
Today, Seeya’s work is found in Parisian art galleries and private collections alike, but the abandoned warehouse selected for the Graffiti Circuit, provides a true experience of the graffiti writer's constant struggle to find walls and safe havens to paint. Next to a busy train line and a short train ride from the Gare du Nord, the whereabouts of this 'hall of fame' is a closely guarded secret among the top graffiti talents in Paris.
Well-known graffiti ambassador and Milan artist, Krio, whose style is a cartoon/graphic mix with food as a recurring theme, said, “The overall piece is about time, my city and of course food – and although the C2 is only a small part of the design, it holds the rest of the piece together. I really like painting the C2 watch and including the small details.”
Krio’s C2 work is to be found in an exclusive artistic hub, in the heart of the Milanese graffiti scene, considered THE place to have work seen. Surrounded on all sides by the work of Europe's biggest names in modern graffiti art, it is a gritty, thriving urban haven in the centre of Milan. The site is protected by the community of graffiti artists who live nearby and permission is required to paint the walls.
A video has been made of this unique snapshot of graffiti, which has evolved from a subculture to a recognized form of contemporary urban art in its own right. It includes interviews with the artists who describe their creative interpretations of the C2 GraffitiGrey.