I am always interested in reading thoughts on a subject, no matter how many times the basic question has been revisited.
""Personally, integrated complications give me the impression of a compromise. Money has been saved by not designing a new or adapted movement.
Typically, integrated complications are actually more difficult to achieve from the outset, and more expensive. (Gary G's great academic abstract on the meta subject hints at why) Some would argue that modular designs are inherently more of a "compromise" but it is impression like yours that beautifully illustrate that "the answer" is often not; the facts are what they are. The impressions are what more often than not determine the preception, which in turn more often than not dictate the "reality" (such as it is.)
Put more simply, so long as the indisputable facts are what they are; how they are preceived should be tolerated without dogma or parochialism.
horses for courses, thanks, Steve.
TM