Anniversary Gift Help: OPTION 2 - Vintage Seamaster for a Novice

ROUND 2: My wife is "surprising" me with a wonderful 5th anniversary gift of a vintage Omega Seamaster. This is our first foray into what we would consider a more serious watch, and want to make sure we do well. This is my second thread on the matter, and I've spent all day honing my recognition skills. Still definitely a novice. Upon our further search we have found this 1969 Seamaster 2281 CD 166.028.

My initial concern after learning more is that this too may be a redial, so please let me know your thoughts. My concerns were:
1) The "Omega" script does not look as clear as the Seamaster script. Is it painted?
2) The luminous elements look to my untrained eye to be likely "too new" to be from 1969.

It seems my other half is more drawn to the newer appearance of a refurbished watch, while I'm inclined to appreciate the healthy aging of a true vintage, so we need to find the right vintage that looks nearly immaculate I presume.

Omega Seamaster 2281 (ref. CD 166.028)
Other information:
Price: $1,368 plus $73 shipping
Case Material: Steel
Bracelet Material: Leather
Year of Production: 1969
Movement: Automatic 565
Crystal: Plexiglass (assuming this is a no no?)
Dial: Silver

Inform away!

Man, you guys are great. I assumed it’d be a pass and you quickly, concisely confirmed.

@wagudc, I appreciate the suggestion.

Few weeks ago I was offered exactly the same reference, but these goldcapped cases is so hard to find in good condition nowadays. This one seems too worn, the other one I was offered had huge dings so I saw the steel case thtough gold layer. Skip it, you'll find another one in better condition for better price!

Hi @GreyTime. What a lovely sentiment, I hope you find what you are looking for.

A general advice is to decide early on if you want to spend a lot of time to find the right watch at a reasonable price, or if you prefer spending a lot of money to find it fast.

If you prefer the first option, spend a few days looking at old threads in this subforum; there is no other place on the net with this much combined knowledge. If you choose the latter option, make sure to post your chosen finds here first, because as you can see from this example, even when you are shelling out you cannot be certain you're not being played...

Good luck in your hunt 😀

@redpcar Thank you for the suggestion, I have been searching the available watches in the sale forum section.

@ConElPueblo We may have to spend a little more to find one in a timely manner, but will continue my search for one that's at least fairly priced in the meantime. Of course before purchasing I'll gather the expert opinions of all of you excellent enthusiasts. I'm glad I discovered this forum, there's quite a wealth of information and helpful personalities.