I think it comes to taste, the 8888
@STANDY shows is a fantastic watch, in fantastic condition but aesthetically it does absolutely nothing for me. I prefer a watch with design that is more in line with the first watch. it's more legible and has a great character. I will pick a watch with an even patina everyday over a NOS dial. But that's just my taste. I like the 'vintage' look. All of my watches from the 1950s, similar to the 8888 I've ended up selling, or I never wear. In fact my first series Omega Geneves are the only watches from the 50s I wear. I've sold my Longines Conquest & Universal Geneve Polerouters as they're shiny and audacious, and don't represent the aesthetic qualities I enjoy.
My point of this reply is not to say the 8888 is a bad watch, I can absolutely see the merit in it for someone who likes that kind of thing (perhaps the mainstream collector), but for me it holds no value. So, I suggest, you look at as many Longines 8888 models and Longines with the 12.68 movements, as you can. Lots of exploration and pictures will help you to ascertain what your heart is most drawn to.
It's hard to do on a computer screen, but through the 60 or so watches I've owned, I've learnt that I prefer numerals to markers, I prefer blued hands to steel, I prefer white dials to black etc. etc. It's a matter of learning and developing your tastes that suit you as an individual and that is part of the magic of collecting.
But while people are referring to relume being a reason to walk away from this watch, I completely disagree, for a watch like this with little value, I wouldn't hesitate having the hands re-lumed, it is cheap and can turn a watch around. There are 'master' re-lumers who really work wonders. One such example is the alchemistrelumer who you can find on instagram, he relumes vintage watches that can be worth as little as a few hundred pounds all the way up to Rolex's worth tens of thousands of pounds. The others seem to think the watch is on the high side price wise, but there is the make an offer button if you like it despite its drawbacks. If you like it and think its worth half the asking price - put that offer in! I would use the points of the wear on the case, and the relume hands are reasoning for your lower offer and if they decline your offer it's no big deal.
Whilst I would not buy the watch the OP showed in this thread, because it would be redundant in my collection, and is not in perfect condition. If it is the watch you have your heart set on then I think you can do a lot worse. Steel cases are better than chromed ones of course, but I have a couple in my collection and I'm glad their case didn't dissuade me from buying them. E.g. my 1938 Tissot, it has some wear but the dial is beautiful and that is why I bought it:
To sum up, look at lots of pictures of Longines from the 1930-1950s and decide what appeals to you most. If it is indeed a Longines you wish to have. If you're not specifically looking for Longines, also check out Omega, Zenith, Tissot.
Once you have a defined direction and idea of what you are looking for the hunt can begin!
