Datejust 31 White Gold Fluted / President / Bronze Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178279-0074 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that balances tradition with subtle innovation. A modern interpretation of the Datejust collection, which has defined elegance on the wrist since 1945, this reference distinguishes itself through a harmonious interplay of materials and restraint. The 31mm white gold case, refined by the signature fluted bezel, frames a dial that defies convention with its warm, patinated bronze hue. This choice of color, paired with the crisp contrast of gold Roman numerals and slender stick hands, evokes a sense of timeless sophistication, as if the watch has been aged by time rather than made to appear so. The president bracelet, with its polished links and secure hidden clasp, reinforces the piece’s connection to Rolex’s legacy of combining wearability with prestige. Beneath the sapphire crystal lies the Caliber 2235, a self-winding movement that exemplifies Rolex’s commitment to precision engineering. Its date display, positioned at the traditional 3 o’clock location, operates with the seamless reliability expected of a watchmaker synonymous with excellence. The caseback, closed and unadorned, invites focus on the dial’s quiet drama—a testament to the brand’s philosophy that true luxury lies in subtlety. This watch is for those who value heritage without ostentation, who seek a companion for both formal occasions and the quiet moments that define a life of refinement. It is not a statement, but a presence—one that lingers long after the wrist it graces is bare.

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.

178279-0074 is one of 25 executions of the 178279 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a bronze dial and a white gold case.

Rolex

Silver · White Gold

178279-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · White Gold

178279-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · White Gold

178279-0015 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · White Gold

178279-0017 · 31 mm

Rolex

Blue · White Gold

178279-0033 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · White Gold

178279-0036 · 31 mm

Rolex

Blue · White Gold

178279-0041 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · White Gold

178279-0043 · 31 mm

+ 16 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