Datejust 31 Rolesor Yellow Domed / Oyster / White Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its Rolesor iteration of yellow gold and stainless steel, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance for generations. Introduced in 1945, the Datejust collection established itself as a symbol of timeless design, marrying precision engineering with enduring aesthetics. This particular reference, with its domed yellow gold case and 31mm diameter, strikes a refined balance between presence and subtlety, while the white dial—adorned with Roman numerals and slender stick hands—exudes a classicism that transcends trends. The interplay of materials is deliberate: the warm hue of the yellow gold contrasts with the crisp whiteness of the dial, a harmony that underscores the craftsmanship of Rolex’s in-house techniques. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, ensures both durability and a discreet, unbroken silhouette. At its core, the Datejust 31 is powered by the Calibre 2235, an automatic movement celebrated for its reliability and the seamless integration of its date display. This mechanical heart, housed within a 100-meter water-resistant Oyster case, reflects Rolex’s commitment to precision without compromise. The

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.

178243-0066 is one of 31 executions of the 178243 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a white dial and a yellow gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

White

178243-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0022 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178243-0024 · 31 mm

+ 22 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