Opportunity to buy a 69 - Advice?

[TonyD]

Hello all, I am a Panerai virgin so please treat me gently! I am knee deep in research and bitten by the Panerai bug/sickness badly! I have an opportunity to buy a 69 from a local AD used. It was sent in for service and looks brand new. One year warranty from the dealer. I understand that discussions of prices are taboo so I won't ask. It seems to be a decent price from my limited research. For now lets stick to some real questions...

I was looking for a 44mm watch and my AD has an 88 and a 251 in stock that I like. These are both new. I normally like complications on watches like the Chrono or GMT but rarely use them. I'm just an engineer that likes gadgets. I have small wrists at 7.25" so a 44 is about as big as I can go.

The 69 comes on bracelet which is a huge plus for me. I like the idea of changing the straps but I really love the bracelet and this is major selling point for me.

The dial is the dark blue which is a huge selling point as it is gorgeous. I find the plain black faces of the Panerai, well... plain. On the other hand the face of the chrono is quite busy. The 88 has a nice mix of stuff although it is also a bit too busy for my taste. The blue of the 69 is just stunning.

The price is a big plus for me as well. If I go new then the entry is easily $7-8000+. The idea of this might be a good stepping stone watch. It seems that most people that own PAM's seem to have more than one. Paying this "little" for this one opens the door to buy another if./when the bug really bites me hard. Then I could almost justify getting another one.

Now the questions...
1. Is the 69 considered rare? I haven't seen many/any for sale to compare prices.
2. I know 44 is more desirable. Is the 40 a killer for resale value or will this at least hold its own in the future? (As much as anyone can predict)
3. Will I regret not waiting for a 44mm later?
4. Any pointers to discussions of the 69 I should look at? Google just shows too much for me to sift through.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.
Image for those not familiar (image found on web and cropped)