It's been brought to my attention that there are brake levers that have caused invasions of entire countries. These brake levers have a "grail" status that is irrefutable.
The first levers that come to mind for me are the dual slotted Shimano Z series brake levers- the Z306 levers. Sure, they're "lowly" but they're not beholden to any particular group by labels- so you can use them with a Golden Arrow, 600 or even Dura Ace group- they look classy and function nicely.
Shimano BLZ306 by
Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
The other levers that come to mind are the dual slotted Gran Compe levers- when you see an unmolested set- you get a view and feel for that beautiful Gran Compe satin finish. I do have a nice set- but I don't have pix. I do, however, have a pic of my set of these- something makes me think this will not buff out.
Gran Compe by
Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
And then the TRP RRL levers. I used to think these were the goofiest looking brake levers... at some point they started looking intriguing to me... and then I got a set. My goodness, these are REALLY really nice levers. They feel nice- they're comfortable to ride on, they're easy to grip and even easy for your fingers just to fall into place on these levers.
TRP RRL Levers by
Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
Trek 720 Cockpit by
Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr