Datejust 31 Stainless Steel / Yellow Gold / Diamond / Black MOP / Jubilee

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31 Reference 278383RBR-0024 exemplifies the brand’s mastery of blending tradition with refined innovation, offering a contemporary interpretation of the collection’s enduring legacy. At its core lies a black mother-of-pearl dial, its subtle iridescence enhanced by the interplay of light against gem-set indexes that catch and diffuse illumination with quiet sophistication. The stick hands, paired with a gloss-finished dial, evoke a sense of precision and restraint, while the combination of stainless steel and yellow gold on the case and Jubilee bracelet introduces a tactile richness that balances classicism with modernity. The dial’s material—mother-of-pearl, a rarity in horology—adds a layer of organic elegance, its surface subtly textured yet impeccably polished. Powered by Rolex’s in-house 2236 automatic movement, the watch marries technical excellence with discreet refinement, ensuring a power reserve of approximately 55 hours and a level of accuracy that remains a hallmark of the brand. The caseback, closed and unadorned, underscores the Datejust’s commitment to understated craftsmanship, a philosophy that has defined the collection since its introduction in 1945 as a symbol of accessible luxury. With a diameter of 31mm and a water resistance of 100 meters, it strikes a balance between wearability and the gravitas expected of a Rolex. This timepiece is for the discerning individual who values heritage, subtlety, and the quiet confidence of a watch that speaks through its materials and proportions rather than overt embellishment. It suits occasions where presence matters—whether in boardrooms, at soirées, or on the wrist of someone who understands that true luxury lies in the details that endure.

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.

278383RBR-0024 is one of 24 executions of the 278383RBR base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a black gloss dial.

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0003 · 31 mm

Rolex

Silver · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0004 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

Champagne · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0014 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-0015 · 31 mm

Rolex

Green · Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel

278383RBR-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.

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