Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Fluted / Oyster / Silver Diamond

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 in yellow gold fluted case embodies a quiet mastery of proportion and refinement, balancing the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection with the contemporary subtlety of its 31-millimeter diameter. The silver dial, adorned with gem-set indexes and paired with stick hands, exudes a timeless sophistication, while the fluted bezel—a hallmark of Rolex’s design language since the 1940s—adds a tactile and visual layer of distinction. Encased in 18ct yellow gold, the watch’s Oyster case ensures both resilience and a warm, lustrous presence, complemented by the sapphire crystal that protects the dial with unobtrusive clarity. The closed case back, a deliberate choice over a transparent design, reinforces the Datejust’s focus on understated luxury, where craftsmanship is celebrated without ostentation. At its heart lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement certified as a Superlative Chronometer, ensuring precision and reliability through Rolex’s proprietary Parachrom balance spring and in-house developed technology. This mechanical excellence is paired with a date display at the III position, a feature that has defined the Datejust since its introduction in 1945, marking its place as one of the most recognizable and enduring watch designs in horology. A watch for those who value tradition without sacrificing modernity, the Datejust 31 in yellow gold fluted case is suited to moments that demand both quiet authority and enduring grace—whether in the boardroom, at a gala, or as a companion to life’s most meaningful occasions.

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.

178278-0037 is one of 37 executions of the 178278 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a silver dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178278-0010 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178278-0018 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178278-0021 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

178278-0025 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178278-0028 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178278-0031 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

178278-0034 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

178278-0038 · 31 mm

+ 28 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