Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Diamond / Jubilee / Blue - Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178384-0038 iteration, exemplifies the enduring balance of refinement and precision that defines the collection. Introduced in 1945, the Datejust established itself as a benchmark for elegant dress watches, and this particular reference honors that legacy with a harmonious fusion of materials and design. The case, combining stainless steel and white gold, offers a subtle yet distinguished presence, while the dial—a deep blue sunburst finish—captures light with a quiet dynamism. Roman numerals, rendered in platinum, frame the stick hands with a timeless clarity, their contrast against the dial’s depth enhancing legibility without sacrificing sophistication. The Jubilee bracelet, with its five-link design, wraps the wrist in a seamless blend of comfort and tradition, a hallmark of Rolex’s commitment to wearable luxury. At the heart of the watch lies the Caliber 2235, an automatic movement distinguished by its precision and reliability, featuring a Parachrom blue balance spring that ensures resilience against shocks and magnetic interference. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, underscores the watch’s durability and the meticulous craftsmanship within. The blue dial, though understated, carries a quiet authority, its hue evoking the depth of the ocean or the twilight sky—a testament to Rolex’s ability to translate natural phenomena into horological artistry. This watch is for the discerning individual who values heritage, subtlety, and the quiet confidence of a timepiece that demands no explanation. It suits formal occasions with its elegance, yet its restrained design ensures it remains at home in the everyday, a companion to

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.

178384-0038 is one of 52 executions of the 178384 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a blue sunburst dial and a white gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

Silver · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

White

178384-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black

178384-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0007 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · White Gold, Stainless Steel

178384-0010 · 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