Mike,
I have read this discussion from the beginning and initially I wanted to hold back my thoughts...
Now I want to drop my 2 cents and I hope it may ease your mind and help with your decision.
I know this model very well as I have the same in pink gold but without the bracelet which I don´t mind.
These are great watches and I like the fact that this reference has the bullet proof full rotor cal. 505 instead of a bummper.
This ref. does not have a date window which makes the watch much more attractive (at least for my taste)
The specimen on discussion looks all original to me
The case has received some light polish which would not be a deal breaker for me as it still looks very nice - we must not forget that it is made of the soft 18K alloy. The stars on the back are crisp and clear which indicates that the watch was only sparingly worn.
Another fact that enforces this assessment is the bracelet which has no stretch (which is seldom found in this condition).
Speaking for myself I would not wear the watch on the gold bracelet but rather on a nice croco strap and put the bracelet into the vault.
In the rural area where I live it would not be dangerous to wear this blingbling watch but it would look a bit out of place.
However I would not dare to wear such a watch in NY, Chicago or any other large city... this evening could end without half of your arm...
I think this model would be a corner stone for every hard core Constellation aficionado´s collection.
But I can also understand collectors who pass on this model as it would sit in the collection instead of being worn regularly.
You can look at it and admire the beauty every now and then but is this the purpose of a watch?
For this kind of money you can buy several other nice watches that can be worn - just a thought.
This is a "niche" model and the number of buyers is very limited...
So my advise: buy it if you love it so much and if you can afford it at any price.
As I am not so wealthy that I can spend this sum without any consideration I would either wait for a price drop or negotiate a better price with the seller. 8K would be the most I was willing to part with.