In the case of the Colibri "Seal" model, the compass unscrews from the lighter. It must have taken real engineering to make sure it wouldn't work even when separated from the lighter, but they managed it somehow. I examined the one I received, and later three more in a shop, and not a single compass worked, even when removed from the lighter... and this was the most expensive of the bunch. I find that amazing.

I think you're right, I think many may regard it as just decoration. In the shop while this testing was going on, the clerk kept saying "it's a lighter", as though that explained why it was silly to expect the compasses to work, no matter what it cost.

Still, a compass that doesn't actually point North isn't really a compass, is it?