Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Domed / Oyster / White

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, a refined evolution of the brand’s most enduring design language, embodies the quiet authority of a watch that has defined sophistication for generations. The 178240-0024, with its white dial and minimalist stick indexes, exudes a timeless clarity that transcends trends. The domed stainless steel case, paired with an Oyster construction and sapphire crystal, balances durability with elegance, while the closed case back underscores the watch’s commitment to understated craftsmanship. At 31mm in diameter, its proportions are tailored for those who value precision in both form and function, with a lug width of 16mm that ensures a secure, comfortable fit. Beneath the surface, the Caliber 2235 movement delivers the quiet precision that has become synonymous with Rolex. Featuring a Parachrom balance spring and a 70-hour power reserve, it marries technical innovation with the brand’s legacy of reliability. The Datejust collection, introduced in 1945, has long been a symbol of enduring elegance, and this reference honors that heritage with its clean, uncluttered aesthetic. The white dial, unadorned by excessive detailing, allows the interplay of light and texture to speak for itself—a testament to the subtlety that defines true luxury. This watch is for the discerning individual who seeks a companion for life’s most significant moments, whether in the boardroom, at a gala, or on the wrist of someone who values heritage as much as horology. It is not a statement, but a silent acknowledgment of excellence.

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.

178240-0024 is one of 24 executions of the 178240 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a white dial and a stainless steel case.

Rolex

Grey · Stainless Steel

178240-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Stainless Steel

178240-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · Stainless Steel

178240-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Stainless Steel

178240-0011 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Stainless Steel

178240-0015 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Stainless Steel

178240-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · Stainless Steel

178240-0017 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Stainless Steel

178240-0019 · 31 mm

+ 15 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