A sobering story indeed Peter and one I have harked back to a number of times when people here have been asking about redials.

To give them their due, they have got it much better this time although some tell-tales remain as you point out.

Any refinishing is very much a personal decision. As Ron pointed out in the initial thread, what a collector expects will be very different from what someone inheriting a watch and wanting it to look "like new" expects. "Should I get x,y,z done?" is a question that is often asked and I think only the owner can really answer that for themselves. And I make that very clear in giving any response! Personally, I fall in the "leave it alone for the sake of originality" camp, especially when it comes to redials, which is about the most drastic example of refinishing. Cleaning I can just about deal with, as long as I'm reassured the paint will be untouched.

If it makes you feel any better, I have since seen a worse example of redialling, and to a Chronomatic dial no less!