Online auctions are rapidly solidifying themselves as an increasingly common option for collectors and sparking curiosity among buyers in Spain. According to the latest data from Catawiki, 2025 was a year of strong growth for the sector in the country. Sales rose more than 20% year over year, reaching nearly 300,000 items sold, while the number of Spanish buyers grew close to 35%. This momentum is also reflected in the rise of new collectors nationwide: the number of Spaniards who placed their first bid on Catawiki jumped 50% in 2025 compared with the year before.
Spaniards Bid for Luxury: Watches, Jewelry, and Wine Lead Interest
Among the many categories available on Catawiki, Spanish buyers showed a clear preference in 2025: luxury pieces. Watches led the auction market in Spain and became, for the first time, the most purchased category, after doubling their sales volume in just one year.
If you look more closely at which watches are Spaniards’ favorites, there is a clear tilt toward classics. Rolex not only was the most coveted brand, but also the most searched term across the platform in 2025, for the second year in a row. Other iconic brands like Seiko and Omega complete the top three.
The jewelry category followed closely, ranking as the second most popular among Spanish buyers in 2025, confirming a clear nationwide trend. Sales grew by around 35% last year, driven by sustained interest in renowned maisons such as Cartier, which remains among the platform’s most-searched brands.
But luxury in Spain isn’t limited to the shine. Gastronomy also gains prominence in auctions, with wine as another category that is sparking growing interest among Spanish buyers. Purchases rose 15% in 2025 versus the previous year, reflecting not only Spain’s well-known passion for wine as a key sector of its economy, but also a growing interest in discovering and acquiring bottles through online auctions.
“Spanish buyers are turning more and more to online auctions to acquire objects with intrinsic and lasting value. Leading categories, such as watches, jewelry or precious metals, reflect strong demand for quality assets, while others, like wine, show how traditional Spain-born passions are evolving through new ways of collecting and discovering objects,” says Ravi Vora, CEO of Catawiki.
Precious Metals: A Safe Haven in Times of Uncertainty
Beyond luxury categories, 2025 also consolidated a broader trend in a context marked by geopolitical and economic uncertainty. According to the World Gold Council, gold has historically acted as a hedge and a safe-haven asset during periods of market volatility and geopolitical tension. The same sources indicate that buyers are increasingly turning to assets that offer stability, and interest in these assets surged in Spain last year. Specifically, Spanish buyers purchased 125% more items made of gold, silver and platinum, such as bullion or coins than the year before, recording the strongest growth across all categories.
In fact, the term “gold” entered the platform’s top 10 search terms in 2025, while precious metal pieces also ranked among some of the most expensive items purchased by Spanish buyers during the year. A trend that could persist if international markets and the value of precious metals continue to show strength.
