Datejust 31 Yellow Gold / Diamond / Black MOP / President

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 278288RBR-0032 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance for generations. With a 31-millimeter yellow gold case, its presence is both refined and commanding, framed by a bezel adorned with meticulously set gemstones that catch light with understated brilliance. The dial, a deep black mother-of-pearl surface, glows with a subtle iridescence, its gloss finish complemented by gem-set indexes that add a touch of opulence without overwhelming the eye. Stick hands trace the hours with precision, their simplicity a counterpoint to the surrounding luxury. As the flagship model of the Datejust collection—a line introduced in 1945 to mark the debut of the date complication—this watch carries the weight of heritage, its design rooted in the timeless principles of Swiss horology. At its heart lies the Caliber 2236, an automatic movement certified as a chronometer, ensuring accuracy and reliability through rigorous testing. The sapphire crystal, paired with a closed case back, protects this mechanical marvel while emphasizing the watch’s durability, a hallmark of Rolex’s engineering. The President bracelet, with its signature five-link design, wraps the wrist in a seamless blend of comfort and sophistication, a testament to

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-0032 is one of 13 executions of the 278288RBR base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black gloss 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