Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Oyster / Grey - Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, with its understated elegance and enduring refinement, represents a masterclass in balancing tradition with contemporary precision. The 2020 iteration, distinguished by its grey sunburst dial, captures the essence of the Datejust collection’s legacy while introducing a subtle yet striking modernity. The dial’s muted tone, paired with Roman numeral indexes and slender stick hands, exudes quiet sophistication, its sunburst finish adding depth that shifts with the light. Encased in polished stainless steel, the 31-millimeter Oyster case—domed and robust—embodies Rolex’s commitment to durability without sacrificing proportion, its 100-meter water resistance a testament to the brand’s engineering ethos. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, ensures the watch remains both impervious to the elements and a seamless vessel for the mechanical artistry within. At its heart lies the Caliber 2236, a self-winding movement that marries Rolex’s centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary innovation. Its precision and reliability, hallmarks of the brand since the early 20th century, are evident in every detail, from the smooth sweeping of the hands to the date’s discreet, cyclops-protected display. The Datejust collection, first introduced in 1945, has long symbolized the intersection of accessibility and luxury, and this iteration continues that tradition with a refined, minimalist aesthetic suited to those who value subtlety over ostentation. This watch is for the discerning individual who seeks a timepiece as timeless as it is versatile—a companion for boardrooms, soirées, or quiet moments of reflection. Its understated presence speaks volumes, ensuring its place not as a statement, but as a legacy in the making.

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.

278240-0015 is one of 18 executions of the 278240 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey 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

Pink · Stainless Steel

278240-0008 · 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