... the metallic part of the hands appear to be black, even on the PR pics, which normally tend to show the optimum, regarding contrast and legibility:
When looking at the difference between the polished end of the minute hand's pin and the hand itself, my impression of an overall black finish of the hands is further supported.
The "white lines": Generally, I meant the share and distribution of white elements on the black dial. The numerals, markers, the small second subdial and all the other white elements add to such a dominant impression of white structures and lines (escepcially the Roman numerals, which emphasize the stright lines, other than Arabic numerals), that the relatively thin, straight lines of the white SL on the hand do not stand out. You have to search them on the dial.
As I already stated: I do not want to disparage the Cartier Diver. It is a highly attractive fashion sports watch. What I do mean is, if a manufacturer talks about ISO standards for (professional) diving timepieces, tool watches, etc., then it has to accept that the product is measured against these standards.
Marcus