CP
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS · SW 9680

Sherwin-Williams Night Watch#303636 · LRV 4

Night Watch reads as a blue-green / cool — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Sherwin-Williams SW 9680 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

SHERWIN-WILLIAMS NIGHT WATCH
RGB 48, 54, 54 LRV 4

Color spec

Brand Sherwin-Williams
Name Night Watch
SKU SW 9680
Hex #303636
RGB 48, 54, 54
HSL 180°, 6%, 20%
LRV 4
Undertone blue-green / cool
Family Black

About Sherwin-Williams Night Watch

At LRV 4, Night Watch is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.

Night Watch earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.

Closest matches at every US brand

13 brands · top 5 each

5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all black from that brand.

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1
All black at Valspar →
5011-1 · #2D3435 · ΔE 1 · LRV 3.3
5010-1 · #2F3837 · ΔE 1.88 · LRV 3.7
5011-2 · #2F3238 · ΔE 4.97 · LRV 3.2
6011-1 · #3A3530 · ΔE 6.84 · LRV 3.7
8004-48G · #383238 · ΔE 9.26 · LRV 3

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.03
All black at Benjamin Moore →
2136-10 · #303536 · ΔE 1.03 · LRV 5
2131-10 · #313435 · ΔE 2.07 · LRV 5
2129-10 · #323436 · ΔE 3.07 · LRV 5
2127-10 · #343435 · ΔE 3.88 · LRV 5
2133-10 · #353434 · ΔE 4.33 · LRV 3

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.64
All black at Behr →
N510-7 · #2C3335 · ΔE 1.64 · LRV 3
S-H-790 · #293331 · ΔE 3.01 · LRV 3
BXC-02 · #2B3439 · ΔE 3.24 · LRV 3
BNC-38 · #2D3439 · ΔE 3.28 · LRV 3
790B-7 · #393432 · ΔE 6.76 · LRV 4

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.55
All black at Kompozit →
0529 · #3A3B3B · ΔE 3.55 · LRV 4
0515 · #2A2B2C · ΔE 4.52 · LRV 2
0522 · #38393F · ΔE 5.79 · LRV 4
0473 · #264243 · ΔE 8.7 · LRV 5
1229 · #40373E · ΔE 11.12 · LRV 4

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.62
All black at Dutch Boy →
424-7DB · #343B36 · ΔE 3.62 · LRV 4
429-7DB · #2B3A40 · ΔE 4.62 · LRV 4
333-7DB · #23383F · ΔE 6.2 · LRV 4
444-7DB · #38363D · ΔE 7.55 · LRV 4
445-7DB · #3A373E · ΔE 8.07 · LRV 4

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.63
All black at Diamond Vogel →
H101 · #393A3B · ΔE 3.63 · LRV 4
0515 · #3D3D3E · ΔE 4.71 · LRV 5
0529 · #464747 · ΔE 6.63 · LRV 6
H098 · #454742 · ΔE 6.7 · LRV 6
H142 · #50433E · ΔE 12.36 · LRV 6

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.95
All black at PPG / Glidden →
PPG0995-7 · #3C3D3D · ΔE 3.95 · LRV 5
PPG1001-7 · #404040 · ΔE 5.14 · LRV 5
PPG14-05 · #3D4645 · ΔE 5.3 · LRV 6
FLLW36 · #404149 · ΔE 7.77 · LRV 5
PPG1013-7 · #404049 · ΔE 8.43 · LRV 5

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.13
All black at C2 Paint →
C2-981 · #3B3B3B · ΔE 4.13 · LRV 4
C2-677 · #39423F · ΔE 4.51 · LRV 5
C2-949 · #423F40 · ΔE 6.9 · LRV 5
C2-757 · #393E48 · ΔE 7.13 · LRV 5
BD49 · #3E373F · ΔE 10.42 · LRV 4

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.3
All black at Dunn-Edwards →
DESS50 · #3C3C3C · ΔE 4.3 · LRV 5
DEA002 · #3B3A3A · ΔE 4.66 · LRV 4
DE6350 · #3E3F41 · ΔE 4.89 · LRV 5
DEBN13 · #463C3D · ΔE 10.75 · LRV 5
DEA185 · #343B4E · ΔE 11 · LRV 5

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.61
All black at Backdrop →
BD-AH · #3D423E · ΔE 4.61 · LRV 6
BD-HP · #1F2025 · ΔE 8.42 · LRV 3
BD-NE · #3D4D3F · ΔE 11.32 · LRV 7
BD-LC · #3F4458 · ΔE 12.48 · LRV 6
BD-IT · #5C4435 · ΔE 17.69 · LRV 7

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.87
All black at Magnolia Home →
JG-05 · #31343A · ΔE 4.87 · LRV 3
JG-97 · #40464B · ΔE 6.29 · LRV 6
JG-144 · #48474C · ΔE 8.6 · LRV 6
JG-150 · #3F3632 · ΔE 9.16 · LRV 4
JG-102 · #4B3C49 · ΔE 15.38 · LRV 5

Farrow & Ball

209 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.05
All black at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 256 · #3B3938 · ΔE 5.05 · LRV 4
NO. 57 · #454749 · ΔE 6.64 · LRV 6
NO. 31 · #45494C · ΔE 6.97 · LRV 7
NO. 93 · #464C49 · ΔE 7.42 · LRV 7
NO. 294 · #484348 · ΔE 9.66 · LRV 6

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 7.27
All black at Clare →
PNT100-DP-54 · #484745 · ΔE 7.27 · LRV 6
PNT100-DP-55 · #515052 · ΔE 10.34 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-42 · #545E66 · ΔE 14.18 · LRV 11
PNT100-MD-40 · #41656D · ΔE 17.37 · LRV 12
PNT100-DP-77 · #604B56 · ΔE 18.88 · LRV 8

Similar Sherwin-Williams colors

closest in the Sherwin-Williams deck

The nearest shades to Night Watch within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

SW 6993 · LRV 4
SW 6992 · LRV 4
SW 6989 · LRV 3
SW 6991 · LRV 3
SW 2809 · LRV 4
SW 9175 · LRV 4

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #303636 in HSL space. Pair Night Watch with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#303636 + #363030
TRIADIC
#303636 · #363036 · #363630
ANALOGOUS
#303633 · #303636 · #303336

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
12.31:1 AAA
Sample text on black
1.71:1 fail

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Sherwin-Williams Night Watch Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Night Watch from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9680 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Night Watch

Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Black Knight (2136-10), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.03). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 4) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Night Watch without repainting risk. See the full Black Knight swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Night Watch

Valspar's nearest match is Forest Canopy (5010-1), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.88). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3.7 vs 4) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Night Watch without repainting risk. See the full Forest Canopy swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Night Watch

At Behr, the closest color to Night Watch is Spade Black (BNC-38) — very close at ΔE 3.28, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 4) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Spade Black swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Night Watch

Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Grantsburg Gray (H101) at ΔE 3.63 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Grantsburg Gray swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Night Watch

PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Starless Sky (PPG0995-7) at ΔE 3.95 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 5 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Starless Sky swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Night Watch

C2 Paint has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Aperture (C2-981) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aperture swatch →

Backdrop Equivalent of Night Watch

Backdrop has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is After Hours (BD-AH) at ΔE 4.61 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 6 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full After Hours swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Night Watch

Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Graduation Cap (429-7DB) at ΔE 4.62 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Graduation Cap swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Night Watch

Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Black (DEA002) at ΔE 4.66 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 4 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Black swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Night Watch

Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Night Watch. The nearest is Blackboard (JG-05) at ΔE 4.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 3 vs 4). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Blackboard swatch →

Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Night Watch

Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Night Watch — the nearest deck color, Pitch Black (NO. 256), is clearly different (ΔE 5.05). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9680 instead. See the full Pitch Black swatch →

Kompozit Equivalent of Night Watch

Kompozit doesn't make a true equivalent of Night Watch — the nearest deck color, Octavius (0522), is clearly different (ΔE 5.79). For an exact match, any Kompozit retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9680 instead. See the full Octavius swatch →

Clare Equivalent of Night Watch

Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Night Watch — the nearest deck color, Blackish (PNT100-DP-54), is clearly different (ΔE 7.27). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9680 instead. See the full Blackish swatch →

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