Sotheby’s Zurich Puts Morgan’s Coupé and Hermès Craft Side by Side
The Human Touch runs November 23–28 in Zurich, bringing together a Morgan Midsummer Coupé prototype, the Hermès Mini Kelly Picnic, an independent watch and sapphire jewelry.
Sotheby’s will hold The Human Touch in Zurich, Switzerland, from November 23 to 28, 2026. The Morgan Midsummer Coupé prototype and Hermès Mini Kelly Picnic are worlds apart in scale, yet both reward a close look at the meeting points of their materials. Aluminum, glass and wood come together in the car, while woven wicker, leather and metal fittings meet in the handbag. A Charles Frodsham wristwatch and a Moussaieff necklace round out the exhibition’s look at how makers join and shape different materials.
How was the Morgan Midsummer Coupé’s fixed roof made?
Known as The Artists’ Proof, the prototype is a fixed-roof car developed by Morgan and Italian design house Pininfarina. It carries over the profile of the original open Midsummer, with the glass roof changing its proportions. From a rear three-quarter angle, the windscreen, roof and rear body flow in one line. Morgan hand-forms flat aluminum sheets over an English wheel and uses modern joining and measuring techniques in assembly. The glass bonds to the body. The curvature of that glass and the alignment of the aluminum edges shape a seam that is easy to see from outside.
A stage in the production of the Midsummer Coupé, shown in Morgan’s media material.
Teak, aluminum and leather meet inside the prototype. The teak inlay on the gear selector and the sun visors show how the wood fits into the metal fittings. Light from the glass roof reveals different textures as you look around the cabin. Morgan has announced nine customer commissions beyond the prototype, with customers able to work with the design team on colors, leathers and wood finishes. The prototype establishes the body and its construction, while the materials can vary with each commission.
The prototype’s cabin brings together its glass roof, teak trim and leather seats.
What details are worth looking for in the handbag, watch and necklace?
The Hermès Mini Kelly Picnic pairs a woven natural-wicker body with pale blue-gray leather on the flap, handle and closing straps. Silver-tone turn-lock hardware sits at the meeting point of the two materials. The woven corners and upper rim show how the shape is held together. Charles Frodsham’s Double Impulse Chronometer “Hidden Seconds” has a white dial, dark blue Arabic numerals and blued-steel hands. Its name points to the double-impulse escapement, a way of managing the release of energy in a very small mechanism. Moussaieff’s Y-shaped necklace places blue, purple and pink sapphires along diamond-set ribbons, with the color and setting easiest to follow down the drop.
Where and when is The Human Touch in Zurich?
The exhibition runs November 23–28, 2026. The Sotheby’s Zurich gallery is at Rämistrasse 3, 8001 Zurich. November 28 falls on a Saturday, so check exhibition hours and admission with the gallery directly if you are planning a weekend visit or fitting it into a set itinerary.
