‘Fake’ Rolex used to scam Singapore watch shop actually real, man still gets 7 months in jail
In a bizarre case, an Italian man attempted to sell what he believed was a fake Rolex watch to a shop in Singapore in exchange for three other timepieces.
However, the watch later turned out to be authentic, meaning no actual loss was incurred.
The 24-year-old was nonetheless sentenced to seven months’ jail for attempting to cheat.
Italian man mistakenly assumes authentic Rolex is fake
According to CNA, the defendant, Singh Deepak, bought a Rolex GMT Saru using cash and jewellery with a total value of about 60,000 euros (around S$89,700).
Singh believed he could sell the watch for around 90,000 euros (S$134,600), but friends advised him to verify its authenticity.
The Rolex GMT Saru is a rare off-catalogue model, with only about 20 genuine pieces believed to be in circulation.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Singh later visited a watch shop, where signs of possible laser engraving on the serial number raised suspicions that it could be counterfeit.
He thus assumed that he had been sold a fake watch.
Trades ‘fake’ watch for 3 Rolexes
On 27 Nov 2025, Singh flew to Singapore to sell the watch.
At about 2pm on 28 Nov 2025, he went to a watch shop along Bencoolen Street and showed the shop director the Rolex and its warranty card.
The director recognised it as a rare off-catalogue Rolex worth about S$120,000. After negotiations, they agreed on a price of S$94,700.
Singh declined cash and instead opted to exchange the watch for three Rolex timepieces, which he intended to resell in Europe:
- A Rolex Submariner worth S$44,000
- A Rolex GMT worth S$25,400
- A Rolex Daytona worth S$25,200
Source: Singapore Police Force
The three watches totalled S$94,600, and the director gave him an additional S$300 as there were no original boxes.
Man arrested at Changi Airport while trying to flee
The shop director initially inspected the warranty card and found it to be authentic.
For registration purposes, Singh provided a forged soft copy of his passport under the name “Sinsi Deepak”, with both his photo and passport number altered to avoid identification.
After the transaction, the director sought second opinions from other watch retailers.
On closer examination of the Rolex GMT Saru, he noticed signs that the original serial number may have been removed and replaced with a laser-engraved one, leading him to believe the watch was counterfeit.
He tried calling Singh several times, who initially said he would return to the shop. However, Singh made arrangements to fly back to Italy instead.
Police arrested him at Changi Airport later that night before he could leave Singapore, and the three Rolex watches were recovered.
Defendant still charged as he believed Rolex watch was fake
On 29 Nov 2025, Singh was charged in court in relation to the offence, as all parties initially believed the watch was counterfeit.
The Rolex GMT Saru was later sent to a Rolex Service Centre on 3 Dec 2025, where a technician confirmed that it was fully authentic and original.
Given the circumstances, the case was classified as an “impossible attempt”, where the defendant intended to commit a crime but was unable to complete it due to facts unknown to him.
Despite no actual loss being incurred, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh argued that Singh had intended to cheat and taken concrete steps to do so, including attempting to leave the country.
Singh subsequently pleaded guilty to attempting to cheat on Monday (20 April).
Given the high value involved, the prosecution sought a jail term of one year.
Defence seeks leniency as no actual loss occurred
Singh’s lawyers argued that there should be a “significant discount” in sentencing since no financial loss was suffered.
They also highlighted that this was his first offence and that imprisonment would cause hardship to his family.
His working-class parents, who are based in Italy, are not in a position to visit him in Singapore frequently.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced him to seven months’ jail, taking into account his actions, including the use of an altered passport during the transaction.
Also read: Teen steals Rolex worth S$47K on ex-stepdad’s instructions, sentenced to reformative training
Teen steals Rolex worth S$47K on ex-stepdad’s instructions, sentenced to reformative training
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
