What is Daiwa doing?

[Carlos Carrapiço]

It all started here.... Product Insight : Zillion TWS a.k.a. Tatula Z?

It's nothing new. Abu Garcia, 13 Fishing, to some extent Lew's (more in the past than currently), share components of their reels throughout their lineups making incremental upgrades as you move up the line. It's just that Daiwa is doing it with already established lineups and abandoning their history.

Sort of like Shimano's move to suddenly call the Curado G a Chronarch.

I agree with your assessment and am really sorry Daiwa is following the others is the way they line the different reels in terms of construction.
For that reason I skipped the latest Zillion iteration except for the Catalina which is a Zillion HD build properly.

I would like just to add that the Zillion not only offers the free floating spool but also the X-Ship thing known as Six Point Drivetrain in the Daiwa realm since the previous millennium. It might seem nothing special but it does improve feeling, durability and cranking power and is in my opinion a big difference. That is also why Shimano found a way to add it to the higher end reels and makes sure everyone knows it.

I guess this should have been clearly stated in the article.

[Slazmo]

Sort of like Shimano's move to suddenly call the Curado G a Chronarch.

After the Chronarch B, that's where the exclusivity of the Chronarch ended. The Chronarch E (Black & White) was just a follow over and hand me down tooling - I'm pretty sure every one knows it was a in-between move for the next model Chronarch Ci4+...

The Curado G and Chronarch E basically shared everything simar albeit the "E" frame from the prior Curado donar platform. Internally basically* swapover - hard to find a part better or worse quality over another regardless of their individual geometric shape difference - even if the Curado was made in Malaysia and the Chronarch in Japan.

Now its pointless to look at anything honestly and say "product A" is better because of # # # # than "product B" of the same manufacturer when they share 90% of inner parts bar a couple bearings etc.

Most people buy it because they like the look or the claimed features - or the exclusivity that the price difference portrays.