Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Domed / Champagne / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278243-0014 iteration, embodies the refined balance of tradition and modernity that defines the collection’s enduring appeal. This reference marries stainless steel with yellow gold in a seamless, elegant construction, a hallmark of Rolex’s mastery in metallurgy and design. The 31mm case, slightly scaled from the original Datejust’s 1945 proportions, feels proportionally harmonious on the wrist, while the domed sapphire crystal adds a subtle, contemporary edge to the watch’s silhouette. Beneath the glass, the champagne dial—finished with a sunburst pattern—captures light with quiet sophistication, its warm hue complemented by the crisp, minimalist stick hands and indexes. The Jubilee bracelet, with its five-link design, ensures both comfort and a sense of timeless refinement, a nod to the collection’s legacy as a symbol of enduring elegance. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2236, a self-winding movement engineered for precision and reliability, with a date display positioned at the traditional 6 o’clock location. The 100-meter water resistance and the closed case back underscore Rolex’s commitment to both function and discretion. This is a timepiece that thrives in the interplay between subtlety and presence, its design language speaking volumes without overt flourish. For those who value heritage, craftsmanship, and a quiet assertion of status, the Datejust 31 is a natural choice. It suits the discerning individual who seeks a watch as much at home in a boardroom as it is at a gala, its understated luxury speaking to a life of quiet distinction.

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.

278243-0014 is one of 24 executions of the 278243 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a champagne sunburst dial and a yellow gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278243-0002 · 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

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