Datejust 31 Rolesor Yellow Fluted / Oyster / Champagne Computer

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 178273-0043 stands apart within the Datejust lineage for its harmonious fusion of Rolesor, a signature blend of yellow gold and stainless steel that underscores both resilience and opulence. This 31mm timepiece, introduced in a contemporary iteration of the collection’s enduring silhouette, balances refinement with approachable elegance, a hallmark of the Datejust since its debut in 1945. The champagne dial, subtly textured and illuminated by a lume-filled hour hand, exudes a warm, diffused radiance that complements the gem-set indexes, each diamond-set marker adding a discreet touch of sophistication without overwhelming the eye. The fluted bezel, a defining feature of the Datejust, frames the dial with a tactile, sculpted presence that echoes the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement celebrated for its precision and reliability, featuring a Parachrom blue balance spring and a 70-hour power reserve. Encased in a 31mm Oyster case with a sapphire crystal and a water resistance of 100 meters, it marries technical rigor with everyday practicality. The closed case back, while unadorned, reinforces the watch’s focus on understated durability. This timepiece is for those who value heritage without ostentation, seeking a companion that transitions seamlessly from boardroom to evening engagements. It speaks to the discerning collector who appreciates the Datejust’s legacy as a symbol of timeless sophistication, worn with quiet confidence.

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.

178273-0043 is one of 32 executions of the 178273 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a champagne 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