by Brent Robillard; photography by Alex Sauret
“Graphite is humble and honest,” says Iordache. “You can’t rush it. It forces you to slow down, to observe. You build a surface gradually, and in that slowness, you find both precision and emotion.”
It began, as many artistic paths do, with a pencil.
Born and raised in Romania, Canadian hyperrealist artist Sinziana Iordache showed an early affinity for drawing—first with portraits, then with architectural forms, and finally, mechanical objects. Her work today is a stunning convergence of all three: graphite renderings of watches so detailed, so precise, that at first glance they might be mistaken for high-resolution photographs. But look again, and the intimacy of pencil marks becomes clear—the steady layering, the gleam of graphite mirroring polished steel, the ghost of light caught in sapphire crystal.
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“I started in architecture in Romania,” Iordache recalls, “and later pursued interior design at Ryerson University in Toronto after immigrating in 2007. My artistic journey has always been diverse. For about 15 years, I focused almost exclusively on portraiture. I’ve always been drawn to the human form, but over time I felt something was missing.”
It was in 2019, during a trip to Dubai, that the missing element revealed itself. A visit to the M.A.D. Gallery by MB&F proved transformative.
“I saw mechanical timepieces as architectural works of art,” she says. “Engineered marvels with poetic depth. Growing up with a passion for cars, anything mechanical was always of interest. It was the first time I felt I could bring together the two worlds I knew into a single subject. I went home, drew my first watch, and never looked back.”
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Sinziana’s watch drawings are born from a love of design and a reverence for time. “They’re poetic machines,” she says. “Little sculptures of light and motion.” Her favourite subjects are those that challenge her: skeleton dials, moonphases, tourbillons.
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Despite having been featured in WatchTime, Wristcheck, Watchonista, and Hyperrealism Magazine, Iordache has taken an intentionally unconventional path, choosing to sidestep the traditional gallery circuit.
“After a few negative experiences, I decided to forge a different path. Some of my most meaningful collaborations have been outside that world—like the Toronto and Vancouver TimePiece Shows. I’ve created exclusive prints for the last three shows, which are released on opening night. It’s been an honour to be part of that.”
Another standout partnership was with German independent watchmaker Felipe Pikullik. Iordache was tasked with rendering several drawings of his Moonphase 2—a process that involved working from components that hadn’t even been built yet.
“It forced me to rely on imagination and understanding of form and light rather than reference photos. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone, but I loved it.”
When asked how she continues to push herself, she answers without hesitation: complexity.
“Complexity is my fuel. One of my biggest projects was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica 185, which has four faces. Before drawing, I studied how the components aligned and interacted. It became a puzzle I needed to solve.”
But technical prowess isn’t the only challenge. In commissioned work, collectors bring her their stories—details like scratched casebacks, lume glow, even fingerprints that hold emotional weight.
“Those commissions push me beyond technique and into storytelling. That’s where the real artistry lies—not just in how real the watch looks, but in how the drawing makes someone feel.”
It’s this emotional connection that brings her the greatest pride. Not magazine covers or show appearances, but the quiet, personal moments.
“When someone sees their commissioned piece for the first time and becomes emotional… that’s the highest honour an artist can receive.”
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“I don’t think I could choose,” she says with a laugh. “Each piece is like a child—I immerse myself completely. But the more complex the watch, the bigger the thrill.” Among her favourites: the JLC Reverso Hybris Mechanica, Felipe Pikullik’s Moonphase 2, and pieces drawn from imagination when references didn’t exist.
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Sinziana Iordache’s graphite drawings may appear still, but they contain the kinetic spirit of horology, architecture, and narrative. Each is a study not only of mechanical precision, but of time made personal. In a world flooded with colour and immediacy, her black-and-white renderings compel us to slow down—and truly see.
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About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
This article was originally published in Volume 1, Number 2 of The Calibrated Wrist.
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What a talent!