Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Fluted / Oyster / Champagne Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178278-0115 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance since its debut in 1945. This particular example, with its yellow gold fluted case and champagne dial, merges the brand’s enduring commitment to craftsmanship with a refined aesthetic that speaks to both tradition and modernity. The sunburst finish of the dial, paired with Roman numerals and slender stick hands, evokes a sense of timeless sophistication, while the fluted bezel—a hallmark of the Datejust lineage—adds a subtle yet unmistakable touch of distinction. The Oyster case, sealed with a sapphire crystal and a closed back, ensures durability without compromising the watch’s understated presence. At its core, the Datejust 31 is powered by Rolex’s Calibre 2235, a self-winding movement with a date display that exemplifies the brand’s precision engineering. This mechanical heart, developed in-house and certified for accuracy, operates with the quiet reliability that has become synonymous with Rolex. The 31mm diameter and 16mm lug width offer a balanced silhouette, ideal for those who seek a watch that is both proportionate and impactful. This timepiece is for the individual who values heritage, understated luxury, and the quiet confidence of a watch that needs no introduction. It suits formal occasions with its refined presence, yet its discreet design ensures it remains equally at home in

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.

178278-0115 is one of 37 executions of the 178278 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a champagne sunburst 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

Silver · Yellow Gold

178278-0037 · 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