Paweł Brzózka, born in Łódź in 1968, is one of the legends of Polish bodybuilding. A multiple Polish champion, two-time European champion and three-time world champion in pairs, he has long inspired others not only with his physique, but also with his approach to working on both body and character. 
Elżbieta Borecka-Brzózka, originally from Zabrze, entered the world of fitness in the 1990s and quickly began achieving success. Over the course of her remarkably rich career, she won European and World Championship titles. 
Today, they are not only husband and wife, but also a close-knit coaching duo running the renowned Max Gym in Myszków. Their shared story is one of determination, discipline and passion, which became the foundation of both their careers and their private lives.
That consistency and attention to detail also carry over into other areas of their lives, including their aesthetic choices and the objects they use every day. Thanks to their kindness, we spent a few moments talking about watches: how they wear them, what they mean to them, and why they have chosen, among other things, microbrands available from Aeon, as they explain in our interview.
Mini-interview: Elżbieta and Paweł Brzózka for Aeon
1. Discipline and Time
Sport teaches consistency and self-improvement. Does a watch also have this meaning for you – as a symbol of discipline and control over time?
PAWEŁ: When we first started in sport, mobile phones were not as common or widely available as they are now. Diet, on the other hand, was extremely important to us: eating particular meals at particular times. That kind of lifestyle and training quite literally forced you into a “relationship with a watch”. I bought a separate watch specifically for this purpose. It served as a reminder for meals, regularity, and discipline in both diet and exercise. The first watch worth mentioning, which I bought while I was still at school, was a quartz Certina. I used a Festina, also quartz, as an alarm clock.
ELŻBIETA: For me it works in much the same way. After all, it is the same field, hahaha… A watch is certainly, to a large extent, a tool symbolising self-control, discipline and… working with time. In its practical role, I mainly use it during strength training and fitness classes. It measures the time between sets or the duration of exercises during functional and fitness training. Yes, I think that this dimension of consistency and working on oneself has a strong connection with measuring time and, consequently, with watches.
2. Style and Personality
What is a watch to you in everyday life – merely a tool for telling the time, or also an element of style and self-expression?
PAWEŁ: When I was young, I admired Arnold Schwarzenegger and watched every film of his I could get hold of. Of course, I also have to mention Sylvester Stallone. Those guys were something else! Both of them, though in slightly different ways, were big, powerfully built men, and they often wore substantial watches both in films and in private. Those observations sparked my interest in Panerai. I liked their watches. If I absolutely had to wear watches from only one brand, it would probably be Panerai. More generally? I simply like the look of a watch on a man’s wrist. Today, of course, it functions more as a form of jewellery than as a tool. For me, it is a way of expressing at least part of my personality and the style I like and feel comfortable with. I think this particular form of jewellery is something every man should own – perhaps even as his only piece, or at least as one of the most basic ones. A proper watch really does look good on a man’s – preferably properly muscular (haha) – wrist.
ELŻBIETA: It naturally has a practical function, and that is not completely irrelevant. Although, as we all know, time can now be measured with great precision without a traditional clock or watch. So I suppose its role has evolved somewhat… What, then, is a watch to me really? It is a little like lingerie. It pleases the eye and adds elegance to the hands. I see a watch as a discreet detail that does not need to draw attention, yet can change the entire impression. For me it is a small accent of style – something that emphasises character and at the same time makes me feel more complete. I like it when a watch works with my jewellery or outfit, but it can just as easily be the only accessory. A well-chosen watch can subtly say more about a woman – and a man too – than many words.
3. Choosing Aeon
Why did you decide to buy watches from Aeon? What convinced you about these microbrands?
PAWEŁ: Over time, my interest in watches broadened and also became something of a hobby, I would say. At one point I registered on the forum of the Clock and Watch Enthusiasts’ Club. Slowly and gradually, I began adding more pieces to my modest collection. I exchanged opinions with other forum members and learned all sorts of new things. As it happened, on that very forum I became interested in posts written, in my opinion, very well by a bloke who wrote about watches and plenty of other things. He turned out to be Jarek, the owner of Aeon. He also caught my attention because of the way he expressed himself: intelligently and with class. I myself have quite a problem not switching on “aggressor mode” in various arguments, hahaha, whereas I noticed that he could approach things differently. We even had a “minor clash” on the forum, and the way he handled it convinced me even more. We started talking and found that we had common ground. When it turned out that Jarek was also the person behind Aeon, it seemed quite natural to me that if I could buy a watch from any source, why not spend my money with a fellow forum member? I may disagree with him on various issues, but I respect him and like both his manner and the way he argues his case. That is why, whenever I have my heart set on a watch available from Aeon, such as a Venezianico, I will always choose Jarek’s shop. And because Aeon also offers a few brands that are unavailable elsewhere, the decision is even easier. That was the case with RZE, for example, which I could have bought directly from the manufacturer or from Aeon. Naturally, I chose the latter. Although Aeon’s prices are generally lower than the competition’s, the person behind it all still matters most to me.
ELŻBIETA: For me it was a little different than for Paweł, because I probably would not have found Aeon on my own. He was the first to show me these watches, tell me about them and pass on his enthusiasm. At first I treated it more as his passion, but when I saw how Jarek approached his business and, of course, which brands Paweł was choosing, I began to look at it differently and more favourably. I liked the fact that these were not the usual, overfamiliar mass-market products, but watches with their own DNA and unique character. In a sense, I initially followed Paweł’s lead, but today we both appreciate that Aeon is not merely a shop, but also a place where you can feel genuine passion and authenticity.
4. Symbolism
Your lives are built around constant self-improvement, passion and consistency. Does the watch you wear also have a symbolic meaning for you – something that reminds you of those values?
PAWEŁ: What is a watch to me…? I have already touched on it – it is certainly men’s jewellery. Is it a tool? Yes, as well. But it is the kind of tool you love and feel a certain respect for… I currently own around thirty watches, and I try to wear every one of them regularly – some more often, some less. I suppose I have been drawn into all those stories about the soul of a mechanical watch, because I often choose a watch for the day so that… it does not feel neglected, so that it too can enjoy being needed, hahaha… Yes, seriously – I treat watches almost as if they were individuals. I have never sold a watch I bought. I know many people will say that is strange or even eccentric, but I simply do not do it. I still own every watch I have ever purchased, including the first one I bought with the first money I earned myself. Back then, during the days of “joyful” socialism, it was worth the equivalent of my father’s monthly salary. For that reason it was genuinely precious to me. I would say that I have great respect for watches. I respect them, but I use them. There are people who respect their watches but almost worship them at the same time. They do not wear them, they keep them wrapped in protective film, and so on. Not me. For me it is more like an athlete’s love for a tool of the trade. For a racing driver, for example, that tool is the car. He uses it as an instrument for achieving success, but at the same time respects and loves it. Despite that love and respect, he does not spare it excessively or turn it into an object of worship. It is similar for me with watches. I wear all of them. There is no “keeping them under film” or anything like that. I treat a watch costing a few hundred złoty just as well as one costing well over ten thousand.
ELŻBIETA: For me, a watch also has a symbolic dimension, though a slightly different one from Paweł’s. Although I am a woman, it somehow happens that… I like larger watches, timepieces with more traditionally masculine features. To me they are a sign of strength, consistency and calm determination. When I wear such a watch, I feel more confident, as though I have something with me that reminds me to persevere and not give up. It may sound banal, but a watch is also a quiet reminder that time has value and should not be wasted. It is a small object, yet it can add courage and elegance at the same time – and that is precisely where its symbolism lies for me.
