Yes, certainly an alternative to decaying coolant cover ports
On an electric choke there is usually a small set of contacts that break once the bimetal opens past a certain point to kill the current requirement.
I'd be surprised if there was a switch as wouldn't the bi-metal then cool down allowing the choke to close once again?
I'd guess the downside is that the choke might re-activate after a fuel stop for instance, while a water controlled version
should still be be hot enough to keep the choke off.
That said, on the last X1/9s which had a 34 DATR 28/250, the water operated choke has a "resistor heater" similar to:
https://www.webcon.co.uk/products/3637-resistor/This is inserted against the bi-metal unit instead of the plastic spacer and is controlled by an extra thermo switch in the thermostat housing to heat up the choke unit to keep the choke off
if the main engine is hot, as the coolant at the choke could have cooled after a stop. Not saying it's a better idea, and personally not found the simple coolant choke itself an issue - the main problems have always been leaks at the hoses which can corrode the bi-metal unit or the choke flap spindle sticking necessitating a good clean.
