Datejust 31 Rolesor Yellow Fluted / Jubilee / Black Diamond

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 in Rolesor—a harmonious blend of yellow gold and stainless steel—embodies the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection, first introduced in 1945 as a symbol of timeless sophistication. This particular iteration, distinguished by its black dial and gem-set indexes, marries restraint with refinement. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s design language, frames the dial with subtle authority, while the stick hands and applied diamond-set hour markers ensure legibility without ostentation. The Jubilee bracelet, with its five-link design, complements the case’s dual-material construction, offering both comfort and a polished silhouette that transitions seamlessly from formal occasions to everyday wear. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement engineered for precision and reliability, with a date display that aligns seamlessly with the dial’s minimalist aesthetic. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed caseback, underscores Rolex’s commitment to durability without compromising the watch’s discreet luxury. Water resistance to 100 meters adds practicality to its refined profile. This timepiece speaks to those who value heritage, craftsmanship, and understated distinction. It is a companion for the discerning individual whose presence is marked not by excess, but by the quiet confidence of a legacy worn on the wrist.

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.

178273-0020 is one of 32 executions of the 178273 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black dial and a yellow gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0010 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0011 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

178273-0015 · 31 mm

+ 23 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