I hope there's an exhibit on the first generation ten-speed dura ace group set, which was a legitimate jump ahead in capability and precision when it was introduced in 2004. Everything since then has been refining some of the same.
I think it has always been the premium top-end of the Shimano product line? For me the most iconic will always be the 7700 and 7800 series, first generation of 9 speed and then 10-speed integrated brake/shift levers. In the era before the shifter cables moved under the bar wrap following the lead set of the first-gen SRAM Force.
