Datejust 31 Yellow Gold / Diamond / Grey - Diamond / President

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278288RBR-0030 iteration, marries the brand’s enduring commitment to refinement with a contemporary interpretation of its classic silhouette. The yellow gold case, polished to a warm luster, frames a grey sunburst dial that exudes quiet sophistication, its texture catching light in subtle, shifting patterns. Gem-set indexes and a diamond-studded bezel add a touch of understated opulence, while the stick hands trace the dial with precision, ensuring legibility without intruding on the watch’s elegance. As a member of the Datejust collection—a lineage established in 1945 and synonymous with timeless design—the piece carries the weight of heritage, its proportions and detailing honed over decades to balance tradition with modern wearability. At its core lies the Caliber 2236, a self-winding mechanical movement that underscores Rolex’s mastery of horology. With a power reserve of approximately 50 hours and a date function that aligns seamlessly with the dial’s aesthetic restraint, the movement operates with the quiet reliability that defines the brand. The President bracelet, crafted from yellow gold and fitted with a hidden clasp, ensures a secure yet comfortable fit, reinforcing the Datejust’s role as a versatile companion for both formal occasions and everyday wear. This watch is for those who value subtlety in luxury, whose appreciation for craftsmanship is matched by a desire for enduring style. It suits the discerning collector seeking a piece that bridges legacy and modernity, or the connoisseur who wears their heritage with quiet confidence.

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-0030 is one of 13 executions of the 278288RBR base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey sunburst dial and a yellow gold case.

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0005 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0006 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0007 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0020 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0022 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0024 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · Yellow Gold

278288RBR-0026 · 31 mm

+ 4 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