On Thu, 24 Mar 2016 21:55:42 -0700 (PDT), RichA
wrote:

I can tell when someone has modified a 1970's Japanese-style focuser.
Why pay so much for a piece of crap like that when you can buy a REAL antique refractor of considerably size?

Because the intent isn't to recreate an antique. It's a fantasy
design, created to appeal to a specific market (which is neither
telescope collectors, scientific instrument collectors, nor amateur
astronomers).