Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Fluted / Grey - Diamond / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278273-0022 iteration, marries the brand’s enduring commitment to balanced elegance with a refined interplay of materials and craftsmanship. The case, a harmonious union of stainless steel and yellow gold, frames a dial that exudes quiet sophistication—its grey sunburst finish deepens with light, while gem-set indexes add a subtle sparkle without overt ostentation. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s design language since the 1940s, lends a tactile richness to the watch’s profile, echoing the Datejust collection’s legacy as a symbol of timeless distinction. The stick hands, paired with the dial’s restrained color palette, ensure legibility and clarity, embodying the precision that defines Rolex’s engineering. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2236, an automatic movement renowned for its reliability and the brand’s in-house innovation. With a power reserve of approximately 55 hours and a 100-meter water resistance, it underscores the Datejust 31’s versatility—whether worn for formal engagements or casual sophistication. The Jubilee bracelet, with its five-link design, wraps the wrist in a seamless blend of comfort and refinement, a testament to Rolex’s mastery of metallurgy and ergonomics. This watch is for the discerning individual who values understated luxury, seeking a piece that transcends trends yet remains perpetually relevant. It suits occasions where presence matters—boardrooms, soirées, or quiet moments of reflection—worn not as a statement, but as a quiet assertion of taste and legacy.

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.

278273-0022 is one of 24 executions of the 278273 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey 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

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278273-0004 · 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

+ 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.