im really really sorry to here what happened to you ....
i remember to had a half funny discussion with RBJ in a sales-thread before.
but nothing ruins a nice vintage MBW
there are some mods you can do yourself for free like put the bad pearl out of the insert
or slightly bleach the rep-insert - makes a huge difference.
or bye some Revell Night Color - a little patience and a toothpick brings you a nice tritium-effect.
you are in the EU ? i can offer you the mods for free if you want -
just PM me i didt a lot of work on vintage MBWs before.
or - the best solution - finally put this nice piece on your wrist and enjoy it
Frank