His story changed literally every hour. This is one email:
When the watch was sent back to Heuer/Switzerland for refurbishment, they touched up the luminous material where needed. I did not specific this -- but since they are the factory, they (like Rolex) will bring the watch back to original condition as it left the factory.

The dial is untouched/original.

That's why I don't screw around with local watch shops and I send my collector watches back to the factory to have their Historic/restoration department service them to preserve their authenticity.

Then less than an hour later:

the hands have not been re-lumed.

The factory chose to touch-up the dial (the receipt was visible in the ad).

I’ve been collecting watches for 30 years and I have to laugh at this fixation on luminous material. If a watch has 12 baton positions and 3 are missing lume material, it makes no sense for the factory to allow the watch to go out the door with the missing lume. The implication is that the Swiss factories have no idea what they are doing. The killer in watch valuations is re-painted dials (which used to be happening all the time 10 years ago.) The hands/dial on the watch are as they should be.

: I think happened to this watch was that the owner had a nice
: vintage piece at some point with sharp dial, etc.

: Instead of sending to a heuer expert for proper restoration, he
: sent it to TAG for service and their policy is service, not
: restoration using NOS. After service I bet he was told of the
: devaluation and injustice to the piece, he wore it for a few
: years and is now desperatly trying to dump it using all means
: necessary, even malicious methods.

: I am also suspect he also overpaid for the Non GF bracelet and part
: of his gross ignorance.

: Thanks to all for their guidance and feedback !!