I think there should be some clarification of applications and suitability of approach. Let's say I was running halyards aft and was attaching a cheek block to the cabin top. I would view this as an application for an adhesive sealant such as 3M 4200 or 4000. In this application, fully tightening up front is the approach I would take. There are several reasons. I am tightening it enough complete with a backing plate on the interior side that I never expect or want it to move. The 4200 or 4000 are also considered adhesives as well as sealers. Since they have a glue property, I don't ask them to flex a whole lot, granted they can withstand some flex. So, this is scenario that I would bolt it tight right up front. Same with stanchions and other related deck hardware.
Now, the second scenario would be something like the chainplates on Emerald. On my particular boat, and it varied in the production of the Independence 31, I have aluminum chain plates fiberglassed into the hull. They pass through cut outs in the deck. Around the chain plates is a flat stainless plate that screws into the deck with basically a stainless sheet metal screw. Can you see the leak scenario here?! You have aluminum chainplates that will flex. They are passing through a deck structure that is going to move independent of the chain plates. Attached to this deck is the stainless plate that is supposed to help seal, and it has it's own issues being secured into the glass with sheet metal type screws. Attempts to seal this with the bolt it tight method using an adhesive sealant such as 4200 or 4000 did not work. To my rescue was the past experiences of another Independence 31 owner. Solution. Use 3M 101 - a polysulfide that from my understanding, turns into basically rubber when cured. It is a sealant more than an adhesive, even though it has very good ability to adhere to surfaces - it is important to distinguish a glue property versus an adhering property for sealing - the 101 is a different creature from the 4200/4000. So, in the Independence 31 scenario, where it needs all the help it can get, we cut a shallow groove around the chain plate in the deck to add an "o-ring" to the final shape, apply a nice layer of 101, press the stainless plate down on it firmly, but not enough to squish it all out, let it sit a day, and then snug up the screws. I think it's also important to note that on the 101, full cure time is 2-3 weeks, so if you have some movement 16-20 hours into it, I don't think it has the same impact as using 4200 fast cure. This approach seems to handle all the movement that occurs as these dissimilar materials of aluminum chainplate, glass deck, and stainless plate are coming together. Also note that the stainless plates that are screwed to the deck are never stepped on, touched, grabbed etc., so they aren't like a stanchion that you want/need bolted hard down.
So, to get back to the original question, there is a valid approach for the right application to do the final tightening after some time period has passed if you are using certain sealants, but like all things, there isn't a single right answer that covers all applications. If there were, this wouldn't be nearly half the fun it is