I was referring to top coat "durability" not technology types.
"Durability" includes weathering resistance, chip and abrasion resistance, color fastness, scratch resistance, gloss retention, and a host of others requirements.
There are 3 levels of paint manufactures, 5 counting the junk paint manufacturers. The top paint manufacturers sell off their off-spec intermediates (materials) to the lower tier paint manufacturers, the resin and additive manufacturers do the same, thus the lesser quality paint. The worst (scrap) materials get shipped to China and third world countries for various uses there. The lower the tier paint manufacturer the less quality can be expected. In short; You sometimes get what you pay for.
In a past life I managed 3 automotive paint development labs for a top tier paint manufacturer, one lab group evaluated OEM and Refinish materials. It's surprising what you find!!. Scary results sometimes too.
FYI - Do not confuse OEM top coats with refinish top coats, as they are completely different animals.
I still paint 1 or 2 vehicles a year for close friends and relatives only , just to keep my hand in it.
This weekend; I'm painting the wife's new bike (tank, fenders) with some House of Kolor candy red with Shimirin2 flake and a whole bunch of clear coat. Hand pin striping will closely follow.
Good luck with your project!
sscuda
