[litoE]

The longer a slide rule the more precise it is - you get mode decimal places. But it also become less convenient to use. That's where the circular slide rule comes in: a 4 inch diameter circular slide rule has the scales on its rim, which are 4 * 3.14 = 12.56 inches long, so it's equivalent to a 12.5 inch linear slide rule but more compact. That's how a Breitling wristwatch can include a usable slide rule - it's equivalent to a 6 inch linear slide rule on your wrist.

Also, in a linear slide rule you have to move the center scale left or right: to multiply 2 * 4 you move the slide to the right, but to multiply 3 * 4 you need to move it to the left (it "overflows"). With a circular slide rule you don't have that problem.