Rolex Launches Four New Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 Models

Rolex has introduced four new references in its female-focused Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 references in “Rolesor” cases that combine Oystersteel with 18k white gold, all featuring dials in a range of vibrant colorways. Here is everything you need to know about Rolex’s new Oyster Datejust 31 models.

The first timepiece features a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds and has an aubergine, sunray-finish dial adorned with a diamond-set Roman “VI” numeral at 6 o’clock. The three others, with fluted bezels in white gold, feature a mint green-colored, sunray-finish dial; a white-colored lacquer dial; and a dark grey-colored, sunray-finish dial. Each model’s hands, index hour markers, and Roman numerals are crafted in 18k white gold.

The new Datejust 31 case measures 31 mm in diameter. According to Rolex, it has guaranteed water resistance to a depth of 100 meters (330 feet). The case middle is crafted from a block of Oystersteel, an alloy from the 904L steel family typically used in the aerospace industry for its anti-corrosion properties similar to those of precious metals. The watch boasts Rolex’s Twinlock double water-resistance system, in which the winding crown screws down securely against the case. Protecting the case and the dial is a scratchproof sapphire crystal fitted with a Cyclops lens over the date display window at 3 o’clock. The screw-down caseback edged with subtle fluting, an element first introduced on an Oyster model in 1926, has been fastened with a unique tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers access to the movement.

The new Datejust 31 models come equipped with a movement developed and manufactured by Rolex. The self-winding mechanical movement, Caliber 2236, is fitted with a syloxi hairspring (a silicon hairspring introduced in the 2014 Datejust Pearlmaster 43), patented and produced by the brand, which according to Rolex can remain up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks. The hairspring, made from silicon and silicon oxide, was created in-house using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). Since silicon is affected by temperature change, this process covers the hairspring in an oxide layer, “rendering it thermo-compensating.” Its patented geometry ensures the caliber’s regularity in any position, compensating for the hairspring’s gravitational errors due to the varying pitch and thickness of the hairspring. The movement is fitted with a paramagnetic nickel-phosphorus escape wheel, while the movement’s oscillator features the Rolex-designed, patented, paraflex shock absorbers, to help increase the movement’s shock resistance. It also houses a self-winding module via its perpetual rotor and offers approximately 55 hours of power.

Each reference of the white Rolesor Datejust 31 comes on either a three-link Oyster bracelet or a five-link Jubilee bracelet. The models with aubergine and white-colored lacquer dials come on the Oyster bracelet, which features Rolex’s folding Oysterclasp and Easylink extension to allow the wearer to adjust the bracelet length approximately 5 mm. The mint green-colored and grey-colored dial versions come mounted on the Jubilee bracelet, equipped with a concealed folding “Crownclasp.”

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The new Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 meets Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer Certification, which Rolex redefined in 2015, which requires each fully assembled timepiece to undergo a series of tests that include testing the watch’s performance and precision on the wrist, its power reserve, its water resistance, and the movement’s self-winding capabilities. The standard set of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer must meet -2/+2 seconds per day or more to be titled an official “Superlative Chronometer.”

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The Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 (Ref. 278384RBR) with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds and aubergine dial retails for $16,050. Both the mint green-colored dial model (Ref. 278274) and the dark grey-colored dial model (Ref. 278274) retail for $8,050, while the white-colored lacquer dial (Ref. 278274) is available for $7,800.

Manufacture:	Rolex
Model:	Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31
Reference Number:	278384RBR, 278274, 278274, 278274
Movement:	Caliber 2236, perpetual, mechanical, self-winding movement, syloxi hairspring, patented geometry, paraflex shock absorbers, bidirectional self-winding via perpetual rotor, precision of -2/+2 seconds per day, approx power-reserve up to 55 hours
Functions:	Hour, minute, seconds, date window at 3 o’clock, stop-seconds
Case:	White Rolesor (combination of Oystersteel and 18k white gold), fluted bezel, screw-down crown with Twinlock waterproof system, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 100 meters (330 feet)
Strap & Bracelet:	Three-link Oyster bracelet with folding Oysterclasp or five-link Jubilee bracelet with concealed folding Crownclasp
Dimensions:	Diameter = 31 mm
Price:	$16,050, $8,050, $7,800

The new references are available and can be purchased online, here.