Notes: Thi 34mm Date model features a stainless steel/yellow gold motif. Predominately made from Stainless Steel, Gold Accents at key locations create a dressier more luxurious feel without the cost of full-blown solid 18K yellow gold. The case is Stainless Steel with a fluted 18K yellow gold bezel. This watch can appear with either a 3-link or 5-link (jubilee) matching bracelet. In both types of bracelets the outer links are stainless steel and the inner links are gold. I am unsure if the inner links are gold filled or solid gold, but I suspect they are gold filled.

The dial faces appear in champagne, black and white (likely others too). The hour marks are usually indices, but arabic and roman as well as a strange roman/index hybrid are all options.

Mechanism: The 3135 is a continuation of the 3035 series. Rolex launched it in 1977 and was profoundly different from its predecessors. As the company’s first high-beat movement, it increased the balance speed from 19,800 BPH to 28,800 BPH. This higher frequency has since become the standard across all of Rolex’s range. It also allowed the caliber to provide more accurate timekeeping and better withstand outside influences, such as shock. Like most Rolex mechanisms ending with a "5", this unit has a date function. All modern Rolex date-equipped mechanisms have a 'Quickset' feature as well.

The popular caliber 3135 measures 28.50 mm in diameter and 6.00 mm in height. The Submariner uses this caliber. This makes it quite large when compared with other Rolex movements. The larger size of the movement means that it is more robust and has the ability to incorporate more parts and components. This allows the watch that utilizes it to perform more reliably and durably. It also offers a frequency of 28.800 vph.

Family Notes: The Rolex "Date" family of watches are smaller and less expensive than their cousins, the "Datejust" family. Date watches are enclosed in 34mm cases, whereas Datejust models are in 36mm cases. Furthermore, the Date models use 19mm width straps while the larger Datejust models use 20mm straps.

Being the less expensive line, new features reach the Date family only after the Datejust watches have already adapted them. For example, the Datejust family received mechanisms with Quickset date capability years before the Date models did.