Aegir-Ran came with a vintage Ritchie compass that was in need of rebuilding. The plexiglass globe was cracking, the paint was flaking off, the 12V cigarette-lighter plug was broken, the wire was frayed, and there was some corrosion. It was surprisingly easy to disassemble the compass. After loosening with PB Blaster, two screws removed the light hood, two screws on the bezel separated the compass from the custom holder, six screws removed the bezel, and a single screw clamped on the base.
The serial number on the label on the base identified the compass model as a 5″ Ritchie Globemaster from the early 1970s. Fortunately, parts for this compass are still available. The incandescent light bulbs are no longer manufactured, but LED equivalents are. I was able to order a new globe, a rebuild kit (that includes new o-rings and compass fluid), and a new red LED light harness from the Viking Compass Company for $172 (including tax and shipping). The exact same Marine Grade Locking Cigarette Lighter Plug was also available for $12.
After sanding and repainting with crinkle-textured Rust-Oleum paint, reassembly was straight-forward. However, refilling the fluid can be a challenge. This is the set-up I used. The compass was positioned so the filling hole was higher than the rest of the compass, a syringe without the plunger was used as a funnel, and the odorless mineral oil was added until the globe was mostly full. The challenge is removing the last bubble of air. The is achieved by positioning the bubble at the filling port and the by carefully pressing on the diaphragm at the bottom of the compass to force the air out. It helps to push the o-ring to the top of the screw before plugging the filling port.
The compass retails for $850 (without the mount and lighting), but I was able rebuild it for $200 and it looks like-new.
The compass still needs to be calibrated.