Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003 wins
“Best of the Best” at the Red Dot Design Award 2026.

The Grand Seiko SLGB003 from the Evolution 9 Collection received the prestigious “Best of the Best” distinction in the Product Design category at the Red Dot Design Award 2026. This accolade is the highest honour bestowed in the category by the Red Dot jury, composed of 40 experts from around the world. The Product Design category encompasses 52 sub-categories, including fashion, accessories, electronics, and furniture.

Statement from the jury:
“Rooted in Japanese aesthetics, this watch reflects a balance of light and shadow through the interplay of Zaratsu-polished and brushed surfaces. A layered dial inspired by wintry forests adds poetic depth, while the compact Spring Drive Calibre 9RB2 ensures exceptional precision.
Together, these elements express refined craftsmanship and nature-inspired beauty in the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003.”

The winning creation’s dial is inspired by the frost-covered trees observed during harsh winter months in the Kirigamine Highlands, which lie east of the Shinshu Watch Studio, located in a Seiko Epson facility in the city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture. The dial has a silver-tinged blue hue, evoking the ice forests seen through crisp, clear air, and is beautifully accented by a tempered blue seconds hand. The watch belongs to the Evolution 9 Collection, whose design represents a continuation of the Grand Seiko Style, which reaches back to the iconic 44GS of 1967. The hands and prominent, grooved indexes of the Evolution 9 Style ensure supreme legibility, and the case highlights Grand Seiko's signature Zaratsu polishing, resulting in a distortion-free mirror finish that alternates with a refined brushed finish for a harmonious glow.

Introduced at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, the SLGB003 was nominated in the Men’s Watch category of the GPHG later that year. It is powered by Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive Calibre 9RB2, which boasts an annual accuracy of ±20 seconds, making it the most accurate wristwatch movement powered by a mainspring today.*

* As of June 2026, based on Grand Seiko’s research.

“We aimed for a design that conveys the value of extraordinary precision, not only through the movement, but also through its exterior appearance. To achieve this, pursuing a compact size was a natural approach. By refining the machining and finishing precision of each component, we have achieved both a downsizing and thinning of the case while maintaining a high-quality feel and functionality,” said Akira Yoshida, who designed the watch. “In addition, the distinctive dial pattern, created through multilayer finishing to produce a sense of depth, draws inspiration from the frost-covered forest that spreads across the Kirigamine Highlands near our workshop. It expresses the serene and intricate world of this icy landscape and serves as an embodiment of the unique value of Spring Drive U.F.A., which is characterized by its high precision and the sweeping motion of the seconds hand.”

For more information on the watch:
https://www.grand-seiko.com/nz-en/news/2025/pr/20250401_SpringDrive

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. More than 18,000 entries are submitted each year by designers, companies, and organisations from over 70 countries worldwide.

For more details about the award:
https://www.red-dot.org/