When you feel that you "gotta have pit zips" -- have you given a thought that perhaps it's because the Precips really aren't all that breathable after all?

I highly recommend that you look at jackets made with eVENT. It's 100% waterproof, but it's made without the extra layer of PU laminate or coating like your Precip -- meaning much higher breathability overall.

My own jacket is a MontBell Peak shell jacket -- which uses a similar technology (no PU layer). It's just a tad less breathable than eVENT, but even so, I rarely (if ever) felt the need to open up the pit zips -- even when hiking uphill. Nevertheless, I like the fact that my jacket has the pit zips, as they broaden the comfort range that much more. Just the fact that my jacket is so breathable that I rarely use the zips means a lot less fussing -- and that's a good thing.