The exact science is finding great examples from the past, finding out why they sounded so good, and then consistently being able to wind a pickup that gets that solid tone consistently. I know Throbak pickups are expensive, but frankly, I've never heard a bad one. And yes, maybe a pickup is not too complicated of an item, but sourcing the right materials to assemble pickups takes a bit, and I think Throbak not only sourced the right materials, they put the work in to get the details that make the pickup winding right, and they got the winders. The proof is in their track record. They make a consistently good pickup. And they sell for what people will pay for them!
And these Gibson pickups? Most people around here know that I'm a Gibson fan, but I don't think they are that consistent in their pickups. They have hit and misses even in the same pickups. I've heard and installed many good and bad examples of Classic 57's, Burstbuckers, and Custombuckers. If I truly thought they had nailed the original PAF tone, I would buck up the money for these limited editions, but I seriously doubt they did,