Back in 2001, I upended my wallet to the tune of $1100 and bought my Kimber Pro Eclipse II... our honeymoon continues to this day. It was a buttload of money for me at the time, but the decision to buy it vs buying a stock pistol and modifying it, was a sound one and I don't regret it. I'll have to give credit where credit is due... my brother told me I was stupid if I didn't buy it, peer pressure being what it is.
The Pro Eclipse II on top...
The Kimber was a result of owning first a gen-u-wine Colt Government 1911, and then a Springfield. The Colt, while beautiful, was not assembled well, and the Springy had some ejection issues (it had a tendency to throw empties at my forehead. I have a burn mark in my right eyebrow from a case stuck between my shooting glasses and my head.) The Colt was long gone by this time, and I had agreed to sell my Springy to my brother... which may have been why he insisted I buy the Kimber.
Although a 1911 is a 1911, there is something special I felt when I picked up that Kimber. I followed up with the Pro Carry II a few years ago, and while an excellent pistol in it's own right, it isn't quite the same as the Eclipse.
There is probably only one .45 that would change my mind about my favorite .45 pistol... that would be one of those carbon blued 1911 Colts that came out a few years ago. Given the limited availability of those... and the corresponding price tag... I think the Kimber is pretty safe, however.