Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Fluted / Jubilee / Black MOP

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178274-0046 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has endured as a symbol of elegance since its introduction in 1945. This reference distinguishes itself through a dial that marries the lustrous depth of mother-of-pearl with a bold, unapologetic black backdrop, a contrast that amplifies the subtle radiance of the gem-set indexes. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s design language, frames the dial with a sense of restrained grandeur, while the Jubilee bracelet—characterized by its five-link construction and integrated clasp—offers a balance of comfort and refinement. The stick hands, paired with the minimalist design, ensure legibility without sacrificing the collection’s timeless aesthetic. At its core, the Datejust 31 houses the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement that exemplifies Rolex’s commitment to precision. Featuring a Parachrom balance spring and a Chronergy escapement, it delivers exceptional accuracy and resilience, even under the demanding conditions of daily wear. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, underscores the watch’s durability, while the 100-meter water resistance ensures practicality without compromising its role as a sartorial statement. This watch is for those who seek a companion that transcends trends, a piece as suited to a black-tie gala as it is to a quiet morning in a well-lit study. It speaks in the language of understated mastery, offering a legacy of craftsmanship that requires no embellishment.

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.

178274-0046 is one of 52 executions of the 178274 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black dial.

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178274-0005 · 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

+ 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