Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Fluted / Jubilee / Black - Arabic

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, introduced in 1945 as a response to the demand for a self-winding chronometer-certified watch with a date display, remains a paragon of understated elegance. The 178274-0005 exemplifies this legacy, blending the enduring appeal of the collection’s fluted bezel with a contemporary refinement. Its 31mm case, crafted from a combination of white gold and stainless steel, strikes a balance between robustness and subtlety, while the black dial—adorned with crisp Arabic numerals and slender stick hands—exudes a timeless minimalism. The Jubilee bracelet, with its five-link design, complements the dial’s restraint, offering a seamless interplay of form and function. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement distinguished by its precision and reliability, featuring a Parachrom blue balance spring and a certified chronometer rating. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, ensures durability without compromising the watch’s discreet sophistication. Water resistance to 100 meters further underscores its practicality, though its primary allure lies in its ability to transcend trends. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who values heritage without ostentation, seeking a companion for both formal occasions and the quiet confidence of everyday wear. It speaks to those who recognize that true luxury lies not in excess, but in the quiet mastery of craft and tradition.

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.

178274-0005 is one of 52 executions of the 178274 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black dial and a white gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0012 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey

178274-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0017 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0018 · 31 mm

+ 43 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