Long before the first DMM hit the shelves I was using my old Simpson 260 analog meter to test things like Diodes and Transistors, oh yes, also to look at capacitors and let's not forget SCRs and Triacs. I can clip my leads on a component and use that little polarity switch. The resistance ranges were used for a great deal more than just checking or measuring resistors where polarity matters not. That polarity reversal switch comes in real handy for testing semiconductor devices using those resistance ranges.
Ron.