A quick google around shows center right on Dura Acee 9000 as 16.5mm. Chris King 17mm. DT 16.9mm. White T11 18mm. There's a reason this information is made available.
There's a reason most 11 speed wheels are pre-built at the factory. There's a reason we now need 4 corner spoke wrenches to finish a build. There's a reason that Ron Boi or Andy Muzi will tell you to not even think about lacing a vintage rim to a modern hub. And if they didn't tell you or you didn't care what they said simply putting the old and new parts on the wheelstand would tell you something is wrong here. Putting new and new parts on the wheelstand would tell you this is a whole different world. Or you could ride down the road and look at vertical right banks of spokes and chains at crazy angles and know this is not like versus like.
Easier to service? More flexible? Again I just do not recognize the universe being described.