Originally Posted by
grumpus
The idea is to allow the wheel to be removed and replaced or the chain to be adjusted without having to adjust the gear cable every time. Also the indexing is in the clickbox rather than the shifter. I'm pretty sure it pre-dates SRAM's ownership of Sachs.
The S 7 was inherited from Sachs, as were the 3 and 5 speed hubs.
You are incorrect about the indexing. It is in the shifter, not the click box.
Rohloff hubs are indexed in the hub.