SINGAPORE — Danish brand Bering watches may only be two-and-a-half years old, but it takes its inspiration from someone from the 18th century — Danish explorer Vitus Bearing who sailed to the Arctic Ocean and discovered Alaska.

“My name is not so sexy for the brand and neither are my co-founders’ names,” joked Dane Michael Witt Johansen, who was in Singapore last week for the Tax Free World Association Asia-Pacific conference.

“It fits too as we first got the idea of having watches made of white ceramic after another one of our founders, Rene Kaerskoy, jumped into the Arctic from a helicopter to raise awareness for global warming.”

Johansen is no stranger to the icy-cool region as well. As a child, he has been to Greenland a couple of times. “I was about 12 or 13 then, it was so beautiful and I think it still ranks among my most inspirational trips.”SERENE LIM

How exactly did the Arctic inspire you and your partners to create a watch brand?

Michael Witt Johansen: We were struck by how clean, pure and beautiful the Arctic area and the landscape around were from the photos we saw from Rene. We then thought of having watches reflecting those same qualities — with white ceramic. Two-and-a-half years ago, there weren’t a lot of watches using ceramic. If they did, they were very expensive like Rado or Chanel. But ours are priced more affordably and the market has responded. We’re in 30 countries now and stocked in about 3,700 shops around the world.

With the amount of travelling you do for work, how do you make sure you experience a place as well?

Always ask the locals. Ask them where you should go or if there’s something you should see. I like asking taxi drivers or shopkeepers.

Was there any time when that advice turned out to be iffy?

When I was in the Grand Canyon, I asked the park ranger where I should stay. He recommended accommodation down in the valley. It turned out to be some lousy cabin which had no amenities and had nothing going for it.

What’s your favourite place in Denmark?

My home near the sea on the tip of the Danish peninsula in Skagen. It’s where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. It’s also where a lot of Danes go when the weather is nice — it’s especially wonderful in summer with its beaches; the sun hardly goes down and we have light till 2am. We buy seafood from the shops along the harbour and just sit there to eat.

Talking about eating, have you tried Noma in Copenhagen, which is considered among the world’s best restaurants?

No, not yet! I came close twice and when they called me back with a date where I could get a table, I wasn’t around or I couldn’t fit it in my schedule.