Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Fluted / Silver - Roman / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 Reference 278273-0004 marries the enduring elegance of the Datejust collection with a refined interplay of materials and craftsmanship. Its case, a harmonious blend of stainless steel and yellow gold, reflects the enduring appeal of two-tone designs that have long defined the collection’s identity. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s aesthetic language, frames a silver dial finished with a sunburst texture that catches light with subtle, dynamic contrast. Gem-set indexes add a quiet opulence, while stick-shaped hands provide clarity and precision, ensuring legibility without sacrificing restraint. This iteration of the Datejust 31, with its 31mm diameter, strikes a balance between tradition and modernity, offering a scaled-down yet equally commanding presence. At its core lies the Caliber 2236, an automatic movement engineered for reliability and precision, with a power reserve that ensures uninterrupted performance. The closed caseback and sapphire crystal underscore Rolex’s commitment to durability and sophistication, while the Jubilee bracelet—characterized by its five-link design—offers both comfort and a signature link to the brand’s mid-20th-century innovations. This watch is for those who value understated sophistication, seeking a timepiece that transcends trends yet remains timeless. It suits formal occasions with quiet authority, yet its versatility makes it equally at home in the boardroom or on the wrist of a discerning collector who appreciates the marriage of heritage and horological excellence.

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.

278273-0004 is one of 24 executions of the 278273 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a silver sunburst dial and a yellow gold, stainless steel case.

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0015 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0017 · 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