Swatch appoints new brand heads for Longines, Tissot

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swatch Group <UHR.S> appointed new heads for several of its watch brands, including Longines and Tissot, in a long expected generational change.

Matthias Breschan, currently head of smaller brand Rado, will take over at Longines from Walter von Kaenel who'd spent 51 years with the group, the world's biggest watchmaker said in a statement on Thursday.

Sylvain Dolla, currently in charge of Hamilton, will succeed Francois Thiebaud, another group veteran, at the helm of Tissot and has been named to the extended group management board. Raynald Aeschlimann, chief executive at its flagship Omega brand, will also join its executive group management board.

It also proceeded to some other internal appointments to fill the resulting vacancies, naming Vivian Stauffer as CEO of Hamilton, Adrian Bosshard head of Rado and Marc Aellen to lead Certina. All the changes will take effect on July 1.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; editing by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi)