Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Diamond / Oyster / Steel Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178158-0081 iteration, marries the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection with a refined interpretation of classic horological design. The yellow gold case, set with a gem-studded bezel, exudes understated opulence, while the silver dial—encased in a stainless steel Oyster construction—offers a timeless contrast of warmth and precision. Roman numeral indexes, paired with slender stick hands, evoke the collection’s mid-20th-century heritage, a period when the Datejust first introduced the now-ubiquitous date display at 3 o’clock. This reference, part of the Datejust’s long-standing legacy since 1945, balances proportion and presence, with its 31-millimeter diameter ensuring both wearability and visual impact. At its core lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement certified as a Superlative Chronometer, ensuring accuracy within -2/+2 seconds daily. Its Parachrom balance spring and Paramagnetic blue hardy blue-steel hands enhance resilience and legibility, while the date function operates seamlessly through a cyclops lens. The watch’s 100-meter water resistance and Oyster caseback underscore Rolex’s commitment to durability without compromising aesthetics. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who values heritage, craftsmanship, and quiet distinction. It suits formal occasions as effortlessly as it complements the quiet confidence of everyday sophistication, serving as both a testament to tradition and a symbol of enduring quality.

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.

178158-0081 is one of 38 executions of the 178158 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a silver 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