Datejust 31 Stainless Steel/ Rose Gold / Fluted / Chocolate - Roman / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278271-0004 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that balances tradition with modern refinement. The interplay of stainless steel and rose gold on the case—its fluted bezel a nod to the Oyster Perpetual’s enduring design language—creates a subtle yet striking contrast, while the dial’s deep chocolate hue, finished in a sunburst pattern, exudes warmth and depth. Roman numerals, rendered with precision, frame the stick hands, their sharpness underscoring the watch’s legibility without sacrificing elegance. This reference, though contemporary, feels rooted in the Datejust collection’s legacy, which since 1945 has defined the archetype of the dress watch: understated, versatile, and unerring in its craftsmanship. At its heart lies the Caliber 2236, an automatic movement with a 70-hour power reserve, its architecture a testament to Rolex’s mastery of in-house engineering. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, ensures durability without compromising the watch’s sleek profile, while the Jubilee bracelet—its five-link design a hallmark of the collection—offers both comfort and a sense of occasion. The 31mm diameter, a deliberate choice for those who favor proportion over ostentation, makes this piece equally at home in a boardroom or on a cuff. For the discerning collector or the individual who values discretion as much as precision, the Datejust 31 is

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.

278271-0004 is one of 24 executions of the 278271 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a brown sunburst dial and a rose gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

White · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

Brown · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Rose · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

Rose · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Rose · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Rose · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0010 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Rose Gold, Stainless Steel

278271-0015 · 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