Actor Robert De Niro spotted wearing a Rolex

In Gary McKendry's 2011 action thriller Killer Elite, Robert De Niro plays Hunter, a veteran mercenary dragged back into a dangerous game of assassinations and covert operations. The production team dressed him with deliberate period and character authenticity, placing a Rolex Submariner reference 5513 on his wrist — a choice that rewards close attention from watch-literate viewers.

The Rolex Submariner 5513 entered production in 1962 as the non-chronometer sibling of the 5512. Where the 5512 carried COSC certification and the associated twin-crown-guard case with four-liner dial text, the 5513 initially shipped with a non-crown-guard case and simpler two-liner dial, later adopting crown guards around 1977. Throughout its 27-year production run — the longest of any Submariner reference — it housed the calibre 1520, later upgraded to the 1530. Water resistance was rated to 200 metres. Case diameter held at 40mm across all generations, a compact footprint by modern standards.

For collectors, the 5513 is foundational. It encompasses some of the most coveted Submariner variants ever made: the ultra-rare Comex-signed examples issued to professional divers, the "Bart Simpson" gilt tropical dials, and the early matte-dial configurations that defined the aesthetic of the reference through the 1960s and 1970s. The sheer span of production means condition, dial generation, and provenance drive valuation more than almost any other single-reference Rolex. Serious collectors parse 5513s by dial text, lume plot material, bezel insert type, and case serial range.

De Niro's character Hunter is written as a man who has lived hard and professionally — someone who carries tools, not trophies. The 5513, stripped of the prestige certification of its sibling, fits that profile precisely. It is a watch defined by function over credential, which is exactly the quiet authority the role demands.

On the grey market, the 5513 trades across an enormous range. Common late-production examples with tritium dials start around $8,000–$12,000 in honest condition. Early gilt-dial references and Comex-signed variants push well past $50,000. No single retail price applies to this vintage reference; values are driven entirely by configuration and originality.