Datejust 31 Yellow Gold Fluted / Oyster / Steel Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178278-0136 iteration, embodies the enduring elegance of a collection first introduced in 1945, a timepiece that has since become an enduring symbol of refined horology. This particular reference marries the warmth of yellow gold with a sophisticated grey dial, its surface adorned with crisp Roman numerals and slender stick hands that exude quiet precision. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of the Datejust lineage, adds a tactile and visual contrast to the polished yellow gold case, while the Oyster construction ensures resilience without compromising the watch’s sleek, 31-millimeter profile. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, underscores the blend of tradition and modernity that defines the collection’s enduring appeal. At its heart lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement celebrated for its reliability and precision, featuring a Parachrom blue balance spring that enhances resistance to shocks and magnetic fields. This technical refinement is complemented by the watch’s 100-meter water resistance, a practicality that does not detract from its formal demeanor. The interplay of materials—gold, steel, and glass—creates a harmony that feels both timeless and contemporary. Suited for those who value understated sophistication, this watch is ideal for occasions where presence matters without ostentation: a gala, a boardroom, or a quiet moment of reflection. It is a testament to the craftsmanship of a brand that has, for over a century, defined the intersection of luxury and precision.

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.

178278-0136 is one of 37 executions of the 178278 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey 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