Well, it's German instead of French, and a (fancy, top of the line) production bike instead of a 'constructeur', but it is an example of a period enthusiast's machine with a gearbox drivetrain.
I’d say for me inspired by vs exact is the way to go. And I am no historian and don’t know a ton about different brands. Maybe I should really do a deeper dive on bikes made from 1930-1960ish and scan the details for some ideas on what to incorporate into my next bike.