Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Fluted / Oyster / MOP

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178274-0056 iteration, stands as a masterclass in restrained elegance, blending the brand’s enduring craftsmanship with a refined aesthetic that honors the collection’s legacy since its introduction in 1945. At its heart is a dial of mother-of-pearl, its surface catching light with a subtle, organic iridescence that shifts with the angle of illumination. The white dial is framed by gem-set indexes, their precise placement adding a quiet sophistication that complements the watch’s fluted Oyster case, a hallmark of Rolex’s design language since the 1930s. The stick hands, paired with the clean, uncluttered layout, ensure legibility without sacrificing the watch’s timeless appeal. Powering this timepiece is the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement renowned for its precision and reliability, featuring a date complication that aligns seamlessly with the Datejust’s function-first philosophy. The case, forged from corrosion-resistant stainless steel, is finished with a polished, rounded bezel that enhances its wearability, while the 31mm diameter ensures a balance between presence and discretion. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, underscores the watch’s durability and the meticulous attention to detail that defines Rolex. This watch is for the discerning individual who values understated sophistication, seeking a timepiece that transcends trends yet remains eternally relevant. It suits formal occasions with its refined demeanor, yet its robust construction and classic design make it equally at home

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.

178274-0056 is one of 52 executions of the 178274 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a white 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