Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Domed / President / Paved Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178248-0091 iteration, embodies the enduring elegance of a collection first introduced in 1945, a timepiece that has since become an enduring symbol of sophistication. This particular reference distinguishes itself through its yellow gold domed case, a silhouette that marries the brand’s legacy of precision with a contemporary refinement. The dial, paved with meticulously set diamonds, frames Roman numerals in a configuration that echoes the timeless aesthetics of early 20th-century horology, while stick hands add a quiet dynamism to the composition. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, ensures both clarity and protection, underscoring the Datejust’s role as a watch designed to endure both the passage of time and the rigors of daily wear. At its heart lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement renowned for its reliability and the inclusion of a Parachrom hairspring, which enhances resistance to shocks and magnetic interference. The 31mm diameter, paired with a 16mm lug width, offers a balanced presence on the wrist, a testament to Rolex’s mastery of proportion. The president bracelet, with its signature five-piece links, adds a layer of opulence that complements the watch’s luxurious materials without overshadowing its understated engineering. This timepiece is for those who seek a marriage of heritage and modernity, a watch that commands respect in boardrooms yet feels at home in the quiet moments of personal reflection. It is the kind of object that transcends trends, destined to be passed down as both a

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.

178248-0091 is one of 38 executions of the 178248 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a paved 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