Hyperrealistic Watch Drawings by Sinziana Iordache

3 min read Original article ↗

Art

Sinziana Iordache creating one of her Luxury Watch Art Drawings, meticulously illustrating the intricate mechanical details of a high-end timepiece in a hyperrealistic pencil graphite drawing.

The artist

Sinziana Iordache

Hi, I’m Sinziana. Toronto’s home, and I’ve been drawing for what feels like forever, officially 15+ years, but really, it goes way back. What I love most is slowing down and noticing the quiet things, the edges, the shadows, the parts most people overlook. My background is in architecture and interior design, so structure, symmetry, and soft gradients are kind of my comfort zone. You’ll see that in everything I draw, especially the watch drawings.

Hyperrealist graphite portrait drawing by Sinziana Iordache, depicting a smiling woman with wavy hair and a pendant necklace, created using vertical paper strips to form a striking optical effect.

Going back to

How it all started

The story didn’t begin with watches, it began with people. For almost a decade, I drew portraits, studying expressions, bone structure, the exact curve of a lip or shadow of a smile. That’s when hyperrealism hooked me for good. Eventually, the design world around me, architecture, interiors, clean lines, pulled me into new directions. Watches became my unexpected muse: part sculpture, part engineering, all personality. Drawing them feels like solving a beautiful, ticking puzzle.

Media

Tools of Trade

Graphite, mostly. Slow, soft, layered, perfect for patience. But sometimes I misbehave. Now and then, I’ll sneak in coloured pencils, gel pens, or even paint to shift the mood or texture. It’s a constant balance between discipline and play, control and exploration.

Hyperrealistic graphite drawing by Sinziana Iordache showcasing the intricate mechanical details of a luxury watch movement, with a close-up of her hand adding precision to the artwork, part of her Luxury Watch Art Drawings series.

Some of my work

Explore gallery

This is where you can see what’s been keeping me busy. Mostly watches (no surprise there), drawn as realistically as my patience allows, plus a few other experiments in detail. Every drawing is done the long way, by hand, slowly, until it finally feels right.

Explore Gallery

Asked & Answered

Press & Dialogues

A few interviews, podcasts, and features, some questions I’ve answered, some thoughts I’ve shared, and a bit about how I see time, drawing, and making things.

The New York Times

Why watches? How did this all start? This article dives into the passion and process behind turning tiny details into big ideas.
Read the interview

This zoomed detail image offers a closer view of aa watch hyperrealistic drawing by Sinziana Iordache. Delicately rendered with graphite on Arches Hot Press 100% Cotton Paper, this portion of the artwork showcases the intricate details of the watch. With meticulous attention to detail, Sinziana Iordache captures every nuance of the timepiece, showcasing the beauty and complexity of hyperrealism. As part of her artist portfolio, this zoomed detail invites viewers to admire the skillful rendering and craftsmanship evident in the artwork.

Watchonista

This is a short interview I did a while ago about how I started, why watches, and why I still think like an architect.
Read the interview

The Exclusivist

A quick Q&A about my process, from discovering watches as artistic objects to translating their precision through graphite and an architect’s eye.
Read the interview

This zoomed image highlights the remarkable details of hyperrealistic watch art drawing by Sinziana Iordache, specifically focusing on the intricate features of the watch's mechanism, including the hands.

Wristcheck

A deeper dive into what draws me to watches, the forms, the finishes, the quiet complexity, and why I still do everything by hand.
Read the interview

This image offers a closer look at the hyperrealistic drawing of the Breguet Tradition Quantième Rétrograde by Sinziana Iordache. It focuses on the meticulously rendered details of the watch, including the intricate mechanism.

The image displays a zoomed section of a hyperrealistic watch drawing by Sinziana Iordache. It showcases the incredible texture meticulously rendered in the artwork.

The AART

A spontaneous live talk right after the AART show in Vancouver. Less polished, more personal. We talked about the drawings I had in the show, why I made them, and a bit about time (again).
Watch it here

Got something in mind?

I take on a few commissions every year. If you’ve got an idea, I’d love to hear it.

Let’s talk about it