On July 8, 2025, the Grand Seiko SLGW003 from the Evolution 9 Collection received the prestigious “Best of the Best” distinction at the Red Dot Design Award 2025 in the Product Design category. This accolade is the highest honor bestowed within the category by the Red Dot jury, composed of 24 experts from around the world. The Product Design category encompasses 51 sub-categories, including fashion, accessories, electronics, and furniture.
“Everything about the SLGW003 from the Evolution 9 Collection by Grand Seiko – from the proportionality of the components to the details such as the finishing and polishing – looks incredibly balanced and harmonious, a rare thing for a watch,” the jury said in a statement. “The design language developed over decades by the brand has found its highest form of expression in this watch.”
The winning creation’s dial is inspired by the slender white birch trees that grow in profusion near
the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the home of Grand Seiko mechanical watchmaking and the
site where this watch is made. The exquisite pattern echoes the beauty of birch bark with its
intricate, multi-dimensional texture. The watch belongs to the Evolution 9 Collection, whose
design represents a continuation of the Grand Seiko Style that reaches back to the iconic 44GS of
1967. The Zaratsu-polished, distortion-free mirror finish and delicate hairline finish alternate,
giving the case the harmonious glow characteristic of the Evolution 9 Style.
“While the watch has a substantial surface area that gives it a bold presence, the overall thickness
appears restrained thanks to the thin, hand-wound movement. This contrast between visual
weight and structural elegance is a key aspect of the design,” said Kiyotaka Sakai, who designed
the watch. “The gently curved case that follows the contours of the wrist, combined with a low
center of gravity, ensures not only elegance in appearance – but exceptional comfort. It’s a quiet
triumph of proportion, poise, and wearability.”
Introduced at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, the SLGW003 was also nominated in the Men’s
Watch category of the GPHG later that year. It is powered by Grand Seiko’s manual-winding
Caliber 9SA4, which was designed to enhance the tactile, auditory, and visual experience of
hand-winding.
About the Red Dot Design Award
Established in 1955, the Red Dot Design Award is internationally recognized as one of the most
prestigious design competitions in the world. Organized by Design Zentrum Nordrhein
Westfalen in Germany, the award comprises three disciplines: Product Design, Brands &
Communication Design, and Design Concept. Entries in the Product Design category are
evaluated based on nine criteria, including innovation, functionality, durability, and emotional
content. In 2025, over 7,900 products were submitted by designers, companies, and organizations
from more than 60 countries worldwide.
For more details about the award:
https://www.red-dot.org/
For more information on the watch:
https://www.grand-seiko.com/global-en/news/2024/pr/20240409-1
