Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Jubilee / Pink

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 2020 iteration with a pink dial, offers a refined reinterpretation of the collection’s enduring legacy. Introduced in 1945 as a response to the demand for a self-winding watch with a date display, the Datejust has long epitomized understated sophistication. This reference, 278240-0008, channels that heritage through a 31-millimeter stainless steel case, its domed bezel and polished edges echoing the timeless proportions of the original design. The dial, a striking shade of pink, is finished with a sunburst texture that enhances its depth and complexity, while stick indexes and hands lend a clean, minimalist aesthetic. Paired with a Jubilee bracelet, the watch balances classicism with a contemporary edge, its subtle yet deliberate choices speaking to a clientele that values precision and restraint. At its core lies the caliber 2236, a self-winding movement with 2880 vibrations per hour and a 48-hour power reserve, ensuring reliability and accuracy. Encased in an Oyster case with a sapphire crystal and water resistance to 100 meters, it is a testament to Rolex’s mastery of engineering. The watch’s quiet confidence—its color, its proportions, its mechanical integrity—makes it a piece that thrives in moments of quiet distinction. It is for those who seek a timepiece that transcends trends, one that carries the weight of tradition while remaining unapologetically modern. Whether worn to a gala or tucked beneath a cuff during a quiet

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. 55 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.

278240-0008 is one of 18 executions of the 278240 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a pink sunburst dial and a stainless steel case. Introduced in 2020.

Rolex

Black · Stainless Steel

278240-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · Stainless Steel

278240-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Stainless Steel

278240-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Stainless Steel

278240-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Stainless Steel

278240-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Stainless Steel

278240-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Pink · Stainless Steel

278240-0007 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · Stainless Steel

278240-0009 · 31 mm

+ 9 more variants in this family.

The 2236 is the Rolex movement inside more watches in this library than any other: 907, in the 28 mm Lady-Datejust and the 31 mm Datejust 31. It was the first Rolex caliber with a silicon hairspring. Introduced in 2014 in the Pearlmaster 34, it is a 20 mm automatic with a date, 31 jewels, a 55-hour reserve and a beat of 28,800 vph, certified by the COSC and then tested again by Rolex after casing to the Superlative Chronometer tolerance of two seconds a day. Its distinction is the Syloxi hairspring: silicon, immune to magnetism, etched to a patented geometry that keeps the spring concentric in every position, and paired with Paraflex shock absorbers. The larger Rolex calibers kept the Parachrom alloy spring; Syloxi did not reach a men's movement until the 7140 of 2023. The [2236 piece](/blog/the-rolex-2236-the-most-common-movement-in-this-library) sets out that history. In the library it powers 488 [Datejust 31](/brands/rolex/datejust-31) references, the seven-digit 2782xx generation of 2020, 399 [Lady-Datejusts](/brands/rolex/lady-datejust) of the 2791xx generation of 2015, 15 [Pearlmasters](/brands/rolex/pearlmaster) and 5 [Yacht-Master 37s](/brands/rolex/yacht-master). The [2235](/calibers/rolex-2235) is the 48-hour movement it replaced, the [2232](/calibers/rolex-2232) its no-date sibling for the Oyster Perpetual, and the [3235](/calibers/rolex-3235) its counterpart in the 36 mm and 41 mm cases.

906 other watches in the library run the Rolex 2236.

Rolex

Lady-Datejust 28 Rolesor Everose Diamond / Oyster / MOP

279381RBR-0014 · 28 mm

Rolex

Lady-Datejust 28 Rolesor Rose Diamond / Jubilee / MOP

279381rbr-0013 · 28 mm

Rolex

Lady-Datejust 28 Rolesor Yellow Domed / Oyster / MOP

279163-0014 · 28 mm

Rolex

Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Diamond / Black MOP / Oyster

278383RBR-0023 · 31 mm