Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Domed / Oyster / Black MOP

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178248-0076 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined luxury wristwatch design for generations. This reference, with its yellow gold domed case and black mother-of-pearl dial, merges the Datejust collection’s enduring legacy of elegance with contemporary refinement. The dial’s deep black hue, paired with the subtle iridescence of the mother-of-pearl, is framed by gem-set indexes that catch light with understated precision, while the stick hands trace the hour with a clarity that feels both mechanical and timeless. The case’s rounded, polished yellow gold form—slender at 31mm—echoes the Datejust’s original 1945 silhouette, a design that has remained a benchmark for balanced proportions and enduring style. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement with a date display and a balance wheel oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Its chronometric certification and 72-hour power reserve underscore Rolex’s commitment to precision, even in the smallest details. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed caseback, ensures durability without sacrificing the watch’s discreet sophistication. This piece is for the individual who values heritage without ostentation, a collector who appreciates the quiet confidence of a watch that needs no embellishment. It suits formal occasions with its polished restraint, yet its versatility allows it to accompany its owner through the demands of modern life, always

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.

178248-0076 is one of 38 executions of the 178248 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178248-0012 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178248-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178248-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Yellow Gold

178248-0019 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178248-0020 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178248-0023 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178248-0025 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Yellow Gold

178248-0026 · 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