Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Domed / White - Roman / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 reference 278243-0002 embodies the enduring allure of a timepiece that balances tradition with refined modernity. Its case, a harmonious blend of stainless steel and yellow gold, reflects the brand’s mastery of metallurgy, while the domed shape adds a subtle, contemporary edge to the classic Datejust silhouette. The white dial, finished with a luminous gloss, serves as a pristine canvas for the elegant Roman numerals and slender stick hands, their precision echoing the watch’s mechanical heart. The Jubilee bracelet, with its gentle curvature and polished links, ensures a secure yet comfortable fit, reinforcing the Datejust’s reputation as a versatile companion for both formal and everyday occasions. As one of the most iconic collections in horology, the Datejust has long symbolized the intersection of craftsmanship and accessibility, a legacy upheld by this 31mm iteration. The movement, the in-house automatic calibre 2236, exemplifies Rolex’s commitment to reliability and accuracy, featuring a Parachrom blue balance spring and a Côtes de Genève finish that underscores its engineering excellence. The watch’s 100-meter water resistance and sapphire crystal further attest to its robustness, ensuring it remains as functional as it is beautiful. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who values understated sophistication, seeking a watch that transcends trends yet remains eternally relevant. Whether worn to a black-tie gala or paired with a tailored suit for business, it speaks in a language of quiet confidence, its presence as enduring as the heritage it carries.

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.

278243-0002 is one of 24 executions of the 278243 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a white gloss dial and a yellow gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0015 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0017 · 31 mm

+ 15 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