I would say there are now two types of crown guards. The newer type, as evidenced in Panerai, JLC, and yes, BALL watches, do add a meaningful benefit to the watch.
These new crown guards incorporate added shock resistance or added water resistance. The Balls and Panerais are tested for shock resistance at the crown position, which is the most vulnerable spot on a watch. The JLC compression key system is an important innovation that drastically improves the watertightness of the crowns, tubes, & gaskets.
Regards,
Jeremy
(Note: Surely there are more watches with this type of technology, but these 3 are the first that popped into my head.)