< NURBS in this case would do a guitar more quickly than SUBD.
Not obligatory for this object depending of the precsion you want :)
For internal part of a watch Nurbs will be winner and more easy to use ;)
Power of nurbs is the precision of Boolean operations ! (add, substract)
Impossible to make that with the same precision with SubD (when SubD has boolean tools) ;)
All these monsters http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/featured2col.php are quasi impossible to make with a nurbs modeler ;)
(a very few artists use nurbs for modelise human or monsters organic forms I know one but he modelises first in Subd and after import inside Nurbs for refine it : a crazzy guy ;)
Marcel Laverdet http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=34679


PS Modo has one of the more speedy renderer inside :)