Datejust 31 Rolesor Yellow Fluted / Oyster / Black Diamond

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 in Rolesor—yellow gold and stainless steel—embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance for generations. This iteration, with its striking black dial and gem-set indexes, marries the Datejust collection’s enduring legacy of refinement with contemporary craftsmanship. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of the collection since its 1945 debut, frames the dial with a tactile, sculptural presence, while the stick hands and minimalist design underscore a balance between tradition and modernity. The black dial, enhanced by the subtle sparkle of diamond-set hour markers, offers a sophisticated contrast to the warm hue of the yellow gold, creating a visual harmony that feels both timeless and deliberate. At its heart lies the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement with a certified chronometer rating, ensuring precision and reliability. Encased in an Oyster case with a closed back, the watch is built to endure, its 100-meter water resistance a testament to Rolex’s engineering rigor. The 31mm diameter strikes a refined balance between presence and subtlety, making it a versatile companion for both formal occasions and everyday wear. This watch is for those who value heritage without ostentation, who seek a piece that speaks through its craftsmanship rather than its volume. It suits the discerning collector who appreciates the quiet confidence of a Datejust, or the professional who demands precision in every detail. A symbol of understated mastery, it is a watch

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.

178273-0045 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