It seems you've already found where the great quality and durability comes from these days. Don't know Workcycles very well, but Azor makes really good bikes, and I understand they work for Workcycles too. My impression is that Workcycles is hip, metropolitan, expensive and internationally minded, and Azor is down to earth, countryside, surprising good value for money and waiting for customers to come to them without any serious marketing(which they do in great numbers). Also Azor seems to stumble on very good looking bikes rather than focussing on aesthetics very mych. If I'd buy a new bike it defenitely would be an Azor (a pretty one), but I can imagine that's a bit more complicated in a foreign country where there's no dealer, especially because they are all bespoke.

I don't own one or have owned one, but I know people who do. What they like about is that they don't have to complain about the quality of modern bikes and rant 'they dont build them like that anymore'. They do, they're trouble free and can take a beating. Touring should be fine, but when you're going uphill steeply you might notice they're not light bikes, allthough bike weight is overrated and mechanical resistance will be very low, but varying with the IGH you pick. Kruisframes are typical for pre-war Dutch bikes and are making a comeback the last decade, and are just a bit heavier and more rigid. There are about 40 different types of kruisframes, but the main difference is whether they cross (kruis) tubes make it a step through with more top tube like rigidity, or make a top tube more rigid in the sense that you have to swing your leg over. The extra rigidity makes more of a difference with taller frames, so if you're not very tall it would be mainly for style or for the step through convenience.