I think that's a great deal Brian for the watch and extras that you got. The condition of that watch after so much time is just amazing!

market value on this specific watch just went up due to Austin’s critique on it 😂 good buy!

That's great, Julio! Can't wait to see it.

I appreciate that!

It sounds like he asked these questions but felt the need for a second opinion. For example, seller said it wasn’t polished and was all original. Buyer wanted peace of mind because it looked too good to be true.

@@Explorer40mm A fine point and perhaps this is the case. However, Brian seemed to me to be somewhat uncertain regarding several aspects pertaining to his particular 16700. I was simply pointing out the necessity of developing a certain depth of knowledge for a particular reference before purchasing a watch. For example, the half-life of Tritium is 12.33 years and most dials and hand sets of this vintage will still exhibit some lume activity if checked under the right conditions. This is easily done and Austin emphasized this point. Brian mentioned a few other anomalies to Austin as well. As always, caveat emptor should be applied in every wristwatch purchase instance.

Hello. Brian here. Both of u gents are correct. I did my research as much as i can before purchase but i wanted peace of mind via Austins "expert" opinion. And yes, i completely agree that these were questions i should raise prior to purchase. Caveat emptor. Will keep that in mind for future purchases. Two eyes wide open before purchase. One eye shut after. Thx alot😊

*Sophia Loren

No difference on the case. But sometimes on the little green hang tags they'd have an indicator of the bezel color (the tag of my GMT had 16710LN, meaning it was born with a black insert). Not all green tags had that information though, and sometimes the only way to tell what insert it was born with is to take it to RSC and have them look at their records.

Hi Jon, from what I understand, luminova will never patina.

It's okay, if you're okay with it - it comes down to personal preference. All things being equal, I'd go for a piece with original parts. But I wouldn't let an authentic replacement crystal stand in the way of a good well-priced example. That said, I'd draw the line at a replacement dial.