Not a gimmick.....it does work, other companys such a Ari and Abel have and do have a similar setup available.
As for the big reel seats for the speys, B&W rods have had this option for some time and all Carron rods come with the same long reel seet, great for those big footed perfects.......who cares about balancing on the big rods when you can use a full footed 4 1/2 inch perfect, lol.