Progression doesn't have to mean gear gap. I don't mind gear progression myself but must admit it has brought some bad side effects.
Main bad effect gear progression triggers is "time-efficience". Since you now have a gear race, doing stuff that isn't rewarding in terms of experience/gear is a "waste of time". Example: If you love open-world PvP and do only that, you won't progresse nor in AA nor in gear. Or at a ridiculosly slow pace. "time-efficience" leading of course to a more "technic" focused game. Hard facts, statistcs, maths, optimisation some enjoy that, i don't. I like it better more lightminded.
An other thing is hardcore players not only out-skill more casual players, they also out-gear them by tons. It's less attractive for more relaxed PvPers (and by the way not much more attractive for hardcore players either beside the "i'm a god" feeling that, i understand, can be nice).
By the way, i find it odd to justify gear progression by the number one pvp guild farming their way to PvP 10 at light's speed. From my point of view it looks more like "now that's done, i won't have to grind anymore for a long while. Pfiu !".
Progression shouldn't be something you seek, it should be something that happens as you play, and it shouldn't divide the population. That's what was great before 1.05 noobish casual guilds fought hardcore guilds in PvP. They weren't massively unbalanced gear wise. 'Cause of course, good/hardcore players always stack up in the few same guilds.
Vali~The Mental Mushroom
Vehl~The Pink Flamingo
Vahlie~Redhead's bane
Tisane~Kettle of Xotli
Nvah~ . . .