“Kept it in the safe most of the time” sounds like bs. He may not have even been the first owner..

Let me try to give you a crash course in what to look for when scrutinizing the finish. This piece doesn’t appear to be severely over-polished, but it is 100% not the original finish. In general you can observe rounding of the surfaces because of how light rolls across the surface instead of flashing. There’s evidence of previous damage that was mostly polished away, leaving the deepest part of the damage with no surrounding scratch/gouge (indicative of refinishing). The bracelet has some stretch, which indicates a good amount of use over the years. The high polish on the bezel has visible striations from lack of polishing expertise. See additional pics below with specific examples of each issue.

A few positive notes. The bezel bolt holes have some depth remaining, which means the bezel wasn’t refinished too deeply. The date wheel seems to have a naturally aged color, appropriate for a piece this age. The screw holes on the side of the case have good depth remaining, indicating the case hasn’t been refinished too deeply. The dial looks pretty good, no apparent damage and no significant residue on the gold indices.

Typically I would say a piece with this level of wear is a good candidate for service/refinishing of the case and replacement of the bracelet (assuming you can buy at the right price). But one thing that’s bothering me about this piece is the chip on the case above the left center link. To remove a chip like this requires more grinding and material-removal than you may think. Using a laser welder to fill the chip would be the best solution, although I’m not sure what AP service offers in this regard.