Datejust 31 Rose Gold / Fluted / Butterfly / President

About This Watch

The Rolex Datejust 31, in its 78275-0021 iteration, embodies the quiet authority of a timepiece that has defined elegance since its introduction in 1945. The rose gold case, polished to a warm, lustrous sheen, frames a dial of white mother-of-pearl, its subtle iridescence catching light with understated sophistication. The absence of indexes allows the stick hands to dominate the composition, their sharp geometry reinforcing the watch’s minimalist yet deliberate aesthetic. The fluted bezel, a hallmark of the Datejust lineage, adds a tactile and visual dimension that bridges tradition with modernity, while the butterfly clasp and president bracelet—crafted with the same precision as the case—ensure both comfort and a sense of quiet opulence. At its core, the watch houses the Caliber 2236, a self-winding movement distinguished by its reliability and the Côtes de Genève finish on its bridges, a testament to Rolex’s commitment to horological excellence. The 100-meter water resistance, though not a feature often flaunted, underscores the watch’s practicality without compromising its sartorial intent. This is a piece for those who value heritage as much as innovation, whose presence is marked not by excess but by the quiet confidence of a design that has endured decades of evolution. It is the companion for moments that demand discretion—boardrooms, gala dinners, or the quiet satisfaction of a well-timed wrist movement—and for collectors who recognize that true luxury lies in the marriage of form and function.

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.

78275-0021 stands on its own in this catalogue — no other reference here shares its base number. It pairs a white gloss dial with a rose gold case.

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