Born in Neustadt an der Tafelfichte (Nové Mesto pod Smrkem) in Bohemia as the son of a school teacher in 1888. Was already interested as a youth in mineralogy and geology (of the Bohemian Central Mountains). In 1909, Michel began his natural science studies at the University of Vienna. In 1911, Michel became a demonstrator at the Institute for Mineralogy and Petrography, and in 1912, he became an assistant at the Institute for Mineralogy of the University of Vienna. In the same year, he obtained his PhD.

In 1918 after the war, Michel resumed his post as assistant at the Institute for Mineralogy. In April 1919, he moved to become assistant at the Mineralogical - Petrographical Department of the Natural History Museum. In 1921, he became vice curator and in 1922 he advanced to the post of curator. After Privy Councillor Koechlin was retired at the beginning of 1923, Michel headed the Department and shortly thereafter, he was made its director. During the same year, he qualified as a lecturer in mineralogy and geology at the University of Vienna. In 1928, he qualified at the Technical University of Vienna in mineralogy and theory of deposits. On 3 February 1933 he was appointed as Primary Director of the Natural History Museum. He stayed in this function until his dismissal on 14 March 1938. He continued as Director of the Department until his retirement in 1952. Michel was an excellent and versatile scientist as well as an eminent expert and a consummate museum man. In addition to his works on mineralogy and mineral deposits, special mention must be made of his contributions to the practical aspects of gemmology. He founded the state-authorized Technical Experimental Laboratory for Gemstones and was an authorized expert on the subject by the Viennese commercial court.

Of particular note are his efforts during the evacuation of the collections of the Natural History Museum during the second world war and their subsequent restoration after the war. It is probably thanks to his circumspection that the collections were only minimally damaged.

In 1947, Michel once again became Primary Director of the Museum, and he held this position until 1951. He became Director-General of the Natural History Collections of Vienna as of 20 January 1949, and he died on 15 October 1965 in Vienna.