Linktrained
The THS was following the PF's order to go more NU than usual ? Altimeters were moving too rapidly to read ? Was it only possible to NOTICE the "10,000ft" because of the change if the first digit?
Quite possible - analogue instrumentation also uses a different cognitive channel so you can react to visual patterns while reading other numbers. The crew were showing all the signs of cognitive overload: fixation on roll not pitch and flight path. (cognitive tunneling) - disregard of auditory cues - such as the stall warning.
An altimeter needle 'winding down' may have been more of an attention getter for them - and definitely for the captain.