Datejust 31 Yellow Gold / Fluted / Black MOP / President

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278278-0038 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance for generations. With a yellow gold case polished to a warm, enduring luster, it wears the legacy of the Datejust collection—a lineage established in 1945 as the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch—into the modern era. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of Rolex’s design language since the 1930s, frames a black mother-of-pearl dial with a subtle, iridescent sheen, its gloss finish catching light in measured, deliberate ways. Gem-set indexes add a touch of discreet opulence, while the stick hands trace the dial’s surface with precision, their simplicity a counterpoint to the complexity beneath. At its heart lies the Caliber 2236, a self-winding movement certified as a chronometer for its accuracy and resilience. Encased in a closed back, it is a testament to Rolex’s commitment to in-house engineering, with a power reserve of approximately 50 hours and a date display that aligns with the brand’s reputation for technical mastery. The President bracelet, crafted from the same yellow gold, wraps the wrist with a balance of comfort and sophistication, its five-link design a nod to the collection’s enduring appeal. This watch is for those who value understated refinement, whose presence is marked not by excess but by the quiet confidence of a timepiece that has stood the test of time. It suits occasions where legacy matters—boardrooms, black-tie events, or simply the quiet moments that define a life well-lived.

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.

278278-0038 is one of 28 executions of the 278278 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black gloss dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278278-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278278-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

278278-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278278-0010 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278278-0011 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

278278-0016 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278278-0017 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278278-0018 · 31 mm

+ 19 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