I think you have a point as, even assuming that the dial has not been repainted (which I understand you find very doubtful), what I could and would want to keep is the natural aging/patina of the dial and not the scratches made by a not very skilful watchmaker.
I will give it a thought one more day or two, but I think I will eventually choose the full restoration, even if the cost of the dial restoration almost doubles the total amount of the operation.
Also, as this choice is some kind of bet on the final result, I feel that I'm more likely to regret not restoring the dial than the other way around.
Thanks again. Best, Emmanuel