Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Diamond / Oyster / Champagne Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178158-0073 iteration, embodies the quiet refinement of a collection that has defined elegance since its introduction in 1945. Here, a 31-millimeter yellow gold case is framed by a gem-set bezel, each diamond carefully placed to catch light with understated precision. The dial, a soft champagne hue with a sunburst finish, evokes the warmth of aged parchment, its Roman numerals and slender stick hands adding a sense of timeless proportion. The interplay of materials—gold, diamond, and sapphire—reflects Rolex’s mastery in balancing technical rigor with aesthetic harmony, a hallmark of the brand’s century-long legacy. At its heart lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement with a date display that operates with the seamless reliability expected from a watchmaker synonymous with precision. The closed caseback, paired with a water resistance of 100 meters, underscores the Datejust 31’s dual role as a dress watch and a companion for moments beyond the boardroom. This reference, while rooted in the Datejust’s storied heritage of innovation and craftsmanship, carries a modern subtlety that speaks to those who value discretion as much as prestige. Suited for the discerning individual who seeks a timepiece as much at home in a formal setting as it is during a quiet evening, the 178158-0073 is a testament to the enduring appeal of a watch that needs no embellishment to command respect.

In Context

At 31 mm it is small by current standards, in the range most wristwatches occupied before cases began growing through the 1990s. The case back is closed, so the movement stays out of sight, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. 100 m is genuine swimming resistance — more than the shape of this watch suggests it would need.

The movement winds itself from the motion of your wrist. 48 hours of reserve is enough to set it down on Friday evening and find it still running on Monday. At 28,800 vph the seconds hand advances 8 times a second.

178158-0073 is one of 38 executions of the 178158 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a champagne sunburst dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178158-0007 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178158-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178158-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Yellow Gold

178158-0011 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Yellow Gold

178158-0018 · 31 mm

Rolex

Paved · Yellow Gold

178158-0022 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178158-0024 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178158-0025 · 31 mm

+ 29 more variants in this family.

The 2235 is the small Rolex automatic of the six-digit generation, a 20 mm movement with a date. It carried the Datejust 31 and the 26 mm Lady-Datejust from around 2000 until the 2236 replaced it. It powers 733 watches in this library. It has 31 jewels, a 48-hour reserve and a beat of 28,800 vph, and every one is a COSC chronometer. It is the same architecture as the [2236](/calibers/rolex-2236) that followed, without the silicon Syloxi hairspring and with seven hours less reserve; the [2236 piece](/blog/the-rolex-2236-the-most-common-movement-in-this-library) explains what changed. The library finds it almost entirely in the [Datejust 31](/brands/rolex/datejust-31): 682 references, the 1782xx generation, whose 45 base references and hundreds of dial variants make that collection the largest here. The 26 mm [Lady-Datejust](/brands/rolex/lady-datejust) of the 1791xx generation accounts for 29, the [Pearlmaster](/brands/rolex/pearlmaster) 29 mm and 34 mm for 19, and the 35 mm Yacht-Master for 3. A six-digit Datejust 31 reference is a 2235; the seven-digit one is a 2236, as the [reference-number guide](/blog/how-to-read-a-watch-reference-number) explains. The 2231 was its no-date sibling in the Oyster Perpetual, and the [3135](/calibers/rolex-3135) its counterpart in the 36 mm cases.

732 other watches in the library run the Rolex 2235.

Rolex

Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Diamond / Oyster / Black MOP

178158-0056 · 31 mm

Rolex

Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Diamond / Oyster / Pink MOP

178384-0061 · 31 mm

Rolex

Datejust 31 Rolesor Everose Domed / Jubilee / Black MOP

178241-0043 · 31 mm

Rolex

Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Domed / Oyster / Champagne Roman

178248-0079 · 31 mm