Italian National Sentenced After Attempted Trade of Rare Rolex He Incorrectly Believed Was Counterfeit

Italian national Singh Deepak gets seven months jail for trying to trade a Rolex GMT Saru he thought was fake. The $89.8k watch was actually real.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 21, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Straits Times

Criminal Intent Formed Under False Pretenses of Fraud

An unusual legal case reached its conclusion in a Singapore courtroom as an Italian citizen faced sentencing for a crime predicated on a factual misunderstanding. According to court documents, Singh Deepak entered into a fraudulent exchange deal because he was convinced he had been swindled during the initial purchase of a luxury timepiece. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh noted that while the defendant believed he was offloading a counterfeit item, he was actually in possession of an extremely rare Rolex GMT Saru, one of only approximately 20 such authentic pieces currently in global circulation.

The Initial Acquisition and Growing Suspicion of Forgery

The chain of events began in early 2025 when the defendant acquired the high-value watch from an acquaintance for approximately €60,000, paid through a combination of cash and jewelry. According to the prosecution, the man’s suspicions were triggered after a shop in another jurisdiction suggested the serial number might have been laser engraved, a detail he misinterpreted as a definitive sign of a replica. Rather than seeking a professional appraisal from an authorized service center, he formulated a plan to recoup his perceived losses by deceiving a secondary market retailer in Singapore.

Execution of the Fraudulent Exchange on Bencoolen Street

On November 28, 2025, the defendant arrived at a watch boutique in Bencoolen Street to finalize a trade-in agreement. According to the shop director, a deal was struck to exchange the GMT Saru for three other genuine Rolex models, including a Submariner and a Daytona, with a total valuation exceeding $94,000. To further obscure his identity and evade potential tax liabilities or criminal repercussions, the man provided a forged digital copy of his passport during the registration process, indicating a calculated effort to remain anonymous.