Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Fluted / Jubilee / Dark Rhodium Floral

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178274-0092 iteration, marries the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection with a refined interplay of materials and design. The grey dial, unadorned by indexes yet imbued with quiet sophistication, is framed by a case that combines stainless steel with white gold, a pairing that underscores the model’s dual nature—timeless and contemporary. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s craftsmanship since the 1940s, adds a tactile dimension to the watch’s silhouette, while the Jubilee bracelet, with its gently curved links, ensures a secure yet comfortable fit. The stick hands, paired with the dial’s monochromatic depth, evoke a minimalist precision that resonates with collectors who value subtlety over ostentation. At its core, the Datejust 31 houses the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement celebrated for its reliability and the inclusion of a Parachrom balance spring, which enhances resistance to shocks and magnetic interference. This technical precision aligns with the Datejust’s legacy as a symbol of horological achievement since its introduction in 1945. The closed caseback and sapphire crystal further emphasize the watch’s commitment to durability and clarity, ensuring the mechanics remain both protected and visible. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who seeks a watch that transcends trends, offering a quiet assertion of refinement. It suits formal occasions with its understated luxury, yet possesses the versatility to accompany the wearer through the demands of daily life, its presence as enduring as the heritage it embodies.

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.

178274-0092 is one of 52 executions of the 178274 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey dial and a white gold, stainless steel case.

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