Woman, 50, buys S$35,800 Rolex watch from pawn shop, but service centre staff claim it's fake

A couple splurged S$35,800 on a secondhand Rolex Daytona from a pawn shop, Maxi-Cash, to save as a coming-of-age gift for their 15-year-old son.

However, when they sent the watch for servicing, they were told by the Rolex service staff that the watch was a fake.

S$35,800 for Rolex watch

According to Shin Min Daily News, the wife, Tan, 50, visited the Maxi-Cash roadshow at Lot One on Dec. 7, 2025, with her husband.

There, they purchased a Rolex Daytona for S$35,800, hoping to gift it to their son when he comes of age.

On Mar. 10, 2026, as the Tans were in Orchard, they decided to send the Rolex watch for servicing at Rolex's service centre.

Serial number not found in Rolex records

"Unexpectedly, after the service staff did their checks, we were told that while the serial number on the watch and in the certificate of authenticity were the same, their system did not have a record of the serial number," Tan told Shin Min.

"They determined that the watch was a fake and refused to service the watch," she continued.

They apparently had to pay S$1,600 to send the watch for servicing.

Tan and her husband were shocked and produced their proof of purchase for verification, but the service staff stuck to their conclusion.

Refused refund, prefers one-to-one swap

Tan and her husband immediately went to a Maxi-Cash outlet to seek clarifications.

"The pawn shop staff wanted to take back the watch supposedly for investigations, but we did not want to do that. We made a police report on the spot," Tan shared.

However, the police later told them to follow the processes of the pawn shop.

Maxi-Cash later offered a full refund on the watch and a S$500 gift voucher, but Tan declined.

"If I accept the refund, they can only refund credits to my credit card account, so I declined," Tan explained.

She added, "I don't need the S$500 gift voucher. I hope to get a one-to-one swap, exchanging for an authentic watch."

Hopes story will serve as reminder for others

Tan shared with Shin Min that she has bought gold jewellery from Maxi-Cash in the past and found them to be of a large scale and professional in its service.

This was why she decided to buy the watch from Maxi-Cash.

"After this experience, we've decided not to buy items from pawn shops," Tan said.

She said she is sharing her experience to remind others to remain vigilant when buying secondhand watches.

Stringent authentication checks in place

Responding to Shin Min's queries, a Maxi-Cash spokesperson said that the customer did not provide any other proof that the Rolex watch was a fake, apart from the verbal comments of the Rolex service centre staff.

Maxi-Cash had also requested that the customer return the watch in its original packaging so that it could be checked for modifications, but this was turned down.

The spokesperson pointed out that Maxi-Cash takes authenticating products seriously.

Before secondhand watches are put on sale, they are put through stringent checks by experts as well as a comprehensive 16-step verification process.

If needed, the pieces would be repaired with original parts from Rolex.

Additionally, Maxi-Cash also invests in skills and equipment to support its verification processes and ensure that the products they put on offer are up to standard.

Maxi-Cash is willing to offer a refund and provide a gift voucher out of goodwill, but will have to verify that the watch has not been modified post-purchase.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News