Datejust 31 Yellow Gold / Diamond / Butterfly / Oyster

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its refined iteration of yellow gold with a gem-set bezel, embodies the enduring legacy of a collection that has defined luxury watchmaking for generations. Introduced in 1945, the Datejust established itself as a paragon of elegance and precision, and the 31mm case size offers a contemporary reinterpretation of its timeless silhouette. The white mother-of-pearl dial, polished to a subtle gloss, serves as a luminous canvas for the stick hands and the absence of traditional indexes, emphasizing minimalism and clarity. A bezel encrusted with meticulously placed diamonds adds a quiet opulence, while the Oyster case’s closed back and sapphire crystal underscore the watch’s robust construction and uncompromising attention to detail. At its core, the Datejust 31 is powered by Rolex’s in-house automatic movement 2236, a marvel of engineering that combines chronometric certification with a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. This movement, paired with the watch’s 100-meter water resistance, ensures reliability without sacrificing the refinement expected of a luxury timepiece. The butterfly clasp on the Oyster bracelet further enhances wearability, allowing for seamless adjustment and a secure fit. This watch is for the discerning individual who values heritage, craftsmanship, and understated sophistication. It suits formal occasions with its polished presence, yet its discreet design ensures it remains equally at home in everyday life—a testament to the Datejust’s enduring appeal as a symbol of enduring elegance.

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.

278288rbr-0010 is one of 15 executions of the 278288rbr base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a white gloss dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0011 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0012 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

278288rbr-0019 · 31 mm

+ 6 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