Singapore watch boutique staff scams customers of $380,000 in Rolex, Patek Philippe deals

Soh Jian Kun, 33, who worked at Cortina Watch between 2015 and 2025, claimed he could secure sought-after timepieces through a staff purchase scheme, particularly at over SG$22,000 each for a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and SG$35,800 each for a Patek Philippe watch.

In reality, he never intended to obtain the watches and instead used the money to service mounting debts, according to The Straits Times.

On Jan. 2, Soh pleaded guilty to four cheating charges involving nearly S$306,000. Thirteen additional charges relating to the remaining amount will be taken into consideration during sentencing on Feb. 3. He has made partial restitution of S$13,000 to two victims.

In total, Soh swindled S$494,583 from 14 victims between September 2024 and July 2025.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Quek Lu Yi told the court that Soh accumulated debt after obtaining multiple credit cards and spending heavily on luxury goods and travel. Despite enrolling in a debt consolidation programme, he failed to keep up with repayments and later borrowed from licensed moneylenders, Channel News Asia reported.

To fund his lifestyle and repay debts, Soh exploited his position at Cortina Watch, where he knew customers and friends trusted him. He also believed the staff purchase scheme was loosely monitored and could be abused.

Victims transferred money to Soh after he sent them forged purchase forms and receipts bearing Cortina Watch's stamp. He further deceived them by impersonating colleagues using multiple phone numbers and fabricating text message exchanges, sometimes using the names of real employees to avoid suspicion.

The prosecution said Soh intended to run a Ponzi-style scheme, using money from later victims to repay earlier ones, but instead channeled all the funds towards settling his debts.

In one instance, Soh cheated a friend of more than S$180,000 over 18 transactions between December 2024 and February 2025, claiming he had access to a quota of luxury watches worth nearly S$190,000. He made no restitution to this victim.

Soh also lied to several victims by claiming that his mother was hospitalized in order to pressure them into transferring funds.

After victims began confronting him, Soh admitted his actions in June 2025 and was arrested the following month.

The prosecution has sought a jail term of up to five years and seven months, noting that his actions harmed both the victims and Cortina Watch.