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From ARRSEpedia

First made in 1933 to a design by the Kjellstrom brothers of Sweden, the Silva compass is simple, basic and reliable. Consisting of a flat perspex base and a raised compass disc, the Silva has a size similar to a pack of 20 cigarettes.

The base is marked with romers and scales to assist accurate map reading and measuring, and will sometimes have a small magnifying section. A corner loop attachment point means the compass can be secured to a nylon lanyard, which is normally supplied with the Silva.

The compass disc comprises a flat cylinder housing the compass needle and mount, with a rotating graduated bezel.

The attraction of the Silva has always been its functionality and simplicity, plus the compact size and durability. With the rise of the Silva's popularity the company have added to the range, many of which though attractive and with added gadgets, fail to satisfy the need for a simple, reliable, affordable and easy to use compass.

Silva website, Products; Compasses here

Silva made an excellent advert, here, based on an old naval joke.