[sabj]

I think that there is a very strong appeal in the high-tech, vanguard crowd of HN and the like for mechanical things of this nature - this is echoed in the fanbase for steampunk, for example.

Personally, if I were to get a new watch (I haven't worn one in years, and am a current college student) I'd want a nice analog watch - digital watches are quite passe, unless you go extremely avant-garde, in which case they're rather much of a statement.