Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Diamond / Oyster / Black - Diamond

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 178384-0042 iteration, marries the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection with a refined interplay of materials that underscores its quiet sophistication. The black dial, a hallmark of the collection’s timeless aesthetic, is framed by gem-set indexes that catch light with subtle precision, while the stick hands trace their lineage to the early 20th-century design principles that defined Rolex’s approach to legibility and restraint. The case, a fusion of stainless steel and white gold, balances the robustness of Oyster’s heritage with the warmth of precious metal, a nod to the Datejust’s original 1945 introduction as the first waterproof chronometer-equipped wristwatch with a date display. At its core, the 2235 automatic movement delivers the precision and reliability expected of a modern Rolex, with a Côtes de Genève finish and a Parachrom blue balance spring that ensures resilience against magnetic interference and temperature fluctuations. The watch’s 100-meter water resistance and sapphire crystal further reinforce its practicality without compromising its svelte 31mm profile, a size that speaks to both contemporary wearability and the Datejust’s long-standing appeal to those who value discretion as much as craftsmanship. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who seeks a symbol of quiet achievement, one that commands respect through its understated presence. It suits the boardroom as seamlessly as it does a gala, its heritage and refinement making it a companion for moments that demand both subtlety and enduring quality.

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.

178384-0042 is one of 52 executions of the 178384 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black 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