The only thing that has actually failed for me on a cammenga are the tritium vials. They do have a shelf life.
For most uses I prefer a liquid damped compass. I've got a Silva R15 I've been using for around 40 years now. It will be buried with me.
I think that the Silva compass today is made by Suunto. And maybe always was. Not sure how that all works out but both brands have reliable compasses.
Are you using the compass to navigate? Or just to find your way back to a road, or linear terrain feature? Most guys are well served with a medium sized protractor compass. Just a quick look tells me that $30 buys a decent one suitable for rough navigation and small enough to carry easily.
