Each year, the Red Dot Awards ceremony is held in the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany. Brimming with ground-breaking design, the Red Dot Awards seek to recognise the top talent and design-based innovations of the year. This year’s ceremony took place on the 19th June, and there were plenty of familiar horological names in the Product Design category. The likes of MeisterSinger, RADO, Polar, and Seiko took home a Red Dot Award this year, and deservingly so. Without further ado, let’s get into our Red Dot Awards Rundown of 2023.
But first, what is the Red Dot Award?
As given away by the location of the ceremony, the Red Dot Awards originated in Germany. However, today, both the winners and the jury members who select them are international.
The awards date back to 1954, when the Haus der Industrieform e.V. (House of Industrial Form e.V.) was founded. In October 1955, the organisation organised an exhibition and its first awards ceremony. Both involved a jury of twelve members hand-picking ‘exemplary’ contenders, which included approximately 600 products from 120 different companies. Ever since, the annual awards have been hosted in various venues around Essen.
Towards the late 20th century, the awards underwent several changes. After receiving sponsorship from the North Rhine-Westphalian State Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1985, the competition was renamed Design Innovations. Five years later, the Haus also underwent a name change, to Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen e.V. (Design Center North Rhine-Westphalia e.V.).
However, in 1991, there was a call to modernise the awards. To give the awards a more contemporary edge, its defining concept of the ‘Red Dot’ was introduced. The idea of the ‘Red Dot’, or Roter Punkt in German, derives from the classic art gallery practice of putting a red dot next to successfully sold artworks. In line with this, successful winners of a Red Dot Award are awarded the Red Dot label as a marker of their high quality.
Attesting to its prestige, some of the most defining products of the 21st century have previously been Red Dot Award winners. These include the iPod, Sony’s robot dog AIBO, and the iPhone.
Red Dot Awards Rundown 2023
Nowadays, there are four evaluation criteria for each product: quality of function, aesthetics, usability and responsibility. In addition to these criteria, the products must also have a ‘recognisable purpose’ which is both long-lasting and self-explanatory to use. Watches and timekeeping devices are just some of the products that are eligible to win, but there are plenty more.
Moreover, there are several different categories of awards, such as Communication Design and Design Concept. However, today, we will focus on the winners from the Product Design category. Here is our complete Red Dot Awards Rundown for 2023.
RADO’s Winning Model: The DiaStar Original 60-Year Anniversary Edition
Rado is no stranger to the Red Dot, frequently topping the winner’s list in various categories. However, this year, its winner was truly a standout model. With its distinctively quirky design, it’s easy to see how the DiaStar 60-Year Anniversary model won its Red Dot. Paying homage to the 1962 DiaStar, which was the world’s first scratch-resistant watch, its charming aesthetics won over the panel. In addition to its aesthetics, the panel also praised its R764 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve.
RADO DiaStar Original 60-Year Anniversary Edition Automatic (38mm) Silver Dial / Stainless Steel Mesh R12163118
The real eye-catcher in this design is its distinctive stainless steel and Ceramos™ coiffe, which provides a chunky frame for the dial. Adding yet even more dimension to the watch is the choppy hexagonal design of the dial. Meanwhile, the accompanying luminescent dot indices, date display, and hands ensure the practicality of the design. With a width of 38mm, the DiaStar won’t go amiss on the wrist. But the best part of the DiaStar is that, despite its quirky design, it doesn’t sacrifice durability. In addition to its mighty movement, the watch also boasts 100 metres of water resistance. A catch both superficially and technologically, the 60-Year Anniversary DiaStar is a more than worthy winner.
Polar’s Winning Model: The Ignite 3
Next up on the Red Dot Awards Rundown list is Polar. With its humbly priced sports smartwatches, Polar is always a welcome winner on the Red Dot Awards list. This year, its Ignite 3 has received the accolade. According to the Red Dot website, the ‘high wearing comfort’ of the model and its ‘attractively packaged’ functionality particularly impressed the jury.
Polar Ignite 3 Fitness & Wellness Watch Brown Copper (S-L) 900106239
Perhaps the most ‘attractively packaged’ of the four Ignite 3 colourways is the copper edition. The glass fibre-reinforced polymer case measures 43mm in diameter and is topped with the colourway’s namesake copper stainless steel bezel. Sitting within this frame is an AMOLED display sealed by a Gorilla Glass lens for ultimate protection.
However, it’s the Ignite 3’s functionality that really takes the cake. A wealth of applications come with the watch, including a Precision Prime heart rate sensor, an integrated GPS system, a music library, amongst many more. To keep up with all these functions, a 215 mAh Li-pol battery that can last up to an impressive 120 hours powers the watch. Ensuring the high wearing comfort promised by the Red Dot jury is a dark brown silicone band, which fastens with a buckle. Moreover, the watch weighs just 35 grams, which only further attests to this claim. At such an affordable price point, the Polar Ignite 3 definitely should be on your radar.
Seiko’s Winning Model: The Prospex Mechanical Diver
Another heritage piece on the Red Dot Awards winners list is the SPB313, SPB315 and SPB317 Seiko Prospex Mechanical Diver watches. Each of the mentioned Prospex models features a turtle-shaped case, which is a beloved fan-favourite shape. This directly echoes that of the original 1968 Turtle model that inspired it. Indeed, it was this source of inspiration that caught the jury’s eye. They described the SPB313, SPB315 and SPB317 models as “worthy successors to an almost 60-year-old icon” that impressively combined “function and contemporary design”.
Seiko Turtle Origin Modern Re-interpretation Silicone Strap SPB317J1
There are many details on the SPB317 that pay homage to the original turtle. For instance, the rail pattern on the reinforced silicone strap is identical to that on the original watch strap. However, it also boasts several modernised updates, such as its 200 metres of water resistance. The curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal seals this in and encases the 41mm stainless steel case. For added reinforcement, the case has a super-hard coating. Within it, a black dial features luminescent hands and hour markers so that the watch is readable in limited lighting. Another function is the watch’s date display, which sits between the 4 and 5 o’clock position so it does not interfere with the indices. In classic Seiko style, the watch also has lots to offer mechanically. Beating underneath the dial is a 6R35 calibre automatic movement which boasts an impressive 70 hours of power reserve.
MeisterSinger’s Winning Model: The Singularis
Alongside its recent Pangea announcement, MeisterSinger also announced that its ultra-exclusive Singularis model is a Red Dot Award 2023 recipient. With its hand-wound movement and genuine enamel dial, this Singularis demonstrates a truly outstanding level of craftsmanship. However, it is no surprise that this is not MeisterSinger’s first Red Dot Award, but it’s 14th.
MeisterSinger Singularis Blue Dial Vintage Saddle Leather SIN908
Unfortunately, there are only 20 pieces of the winning Singularis that exist worldwide. However, if you’re looking for another Singularis model, why not try this sunburst blue colourway? Sitting within its 43mm stainless steel case is its vibrant dial with white accents to enhance its readability. Its single-hand design is MeisterSinger’s signature quirk, which you can learn how to read here. Moreover, for added functionality is a date display which replaces the 6 o’clock hour marker. Beating within the watch’s mechanism is MeisterSinger’s own MSA01 automatic calibre movement, which boasts the same generous 120-hour power reserve as the enamel Singularis. To top off the design is a tan leather strap complete with white contrast stitching for some added flair.
And that concludes this year’s Red Dot Awards Rundown. What do you think of this year’s winners? Are there any others you would have liked to have seen with the Red Dot seal of approval? Let us know below!
