Datejust 31 Stainless Steel Diamond / Oyster / Grey - Roman

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, introduced in 2020, embodies the enduring elegance of a collection first launched in 1945, marking Rolex’s commitment to blending precision with timeless design. This particular iteration, with its stainless steel case and white gold bezel adorned with diamonds, offers a refined balance of understated opulence. The grey sunburst dial, framed by Roman numeral indexes and sleek stick hands, exudes a quiet sophistication, its depth and texture enhanced by the interplay of light across the polished surfaces. The Oyster case, paired with a sapphire crystal and a closed case back, ensures both resilience and a seamless integration of form and function, reflecting the brand’s mastery of horological engineering. At its heart lies the Caliber 2236, an automatic movement renowned for its reliability and the inclusion of a date display through a cyclops lens. This mechanical complexity is concealed beneath the watch’s minimalist exterior, a testament to Rolex’s ability to marry technical innovation with aesthetic restraint. The 31mm diameter, a nod to the Datejust’s heritage as a unisex model, ensures a presence that is neither overwhelming nor diminutive, appealing to those who value proportion as much as craftsmanship. This watch is for the discerning individual who seeks a timepiece that transcends trends, serving as both a statement of heritage and a companion for moments that demand quiet distinction—whether in the boardroom, at a gala, or during the quiet hours of contemplation. It is not merely an object, but a legacy in motion.

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.

278384RBR-0031 is one of 34 executions of the 278384RBR base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a grey sunburst dial and a white gold, stainless steel case. Introduced in 2020.

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0001 · 31 mm

Rolex

Black · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0002 · 31 mm

Rolex

White

278384RBR-0007 · 31 mm

Rolex

White

278384RBR-0008 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0009 · 31 mm

Rolex

Grey · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0010 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0013 · 31 mm

Rolex

White · White Gold, Stainless Steel

278384RBR-0014 · 31 mm

+ 25 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