TWO first half strikes from the Golden Boys and a Marlon King clincher put paid to any doubts about the bouncebackability of Aidy Boothroyd's charges, as the division's top team punished the bottom boys in their own back yard.
It was job-done by half-time for the happy Hornets, Darius Henderson and a David Marshall own goal proving more than enough to secure an away day victory in Norfolk.
In truth Norwich never really had the cutting edge to test Boothroyd's troops until it was too late, as he and several of his backroom staff and players returned to haunt their former employers.
They did pull one back through substitute Lee Croft but it wasn't enough for the beleaguered home side, despite the backing of their vociferous home crowd, as King snatched a late third kill the game off.
Both sides made two changes ahead of the crucial evening kick-off, Watford boss Boothroyd fielding Adrian Mariappa and Lee Williamson in place of Jay DeMerit and John-Joe O'Toole, whilst former Hornets' manager Glenn Roeder replaced Darren Huckerby and Dion Dublin with Jimmy Smith and John Hartson.
The evening air at Carrow Road was crisp and chilling as the home side kicked-off in front of the packed galleries that included a terrific Hornets' following in the Jarrold Stand.
There was plenty of noise from them too as the Golden Boys got off to their trademark fast start.
Adam Johnson squandered an early free-kick opportunity; this after Tommy Smith was fouled from behind by Jason Shackell as he raced towards the City area.
Five minutes in, some eye-catching football almost saw Watford take the lead, but for an offside call from the referee Clive Penton's assistant.
A neat move down the left found Marlon King, whose in-swinging cross was perfectly weighted for the onrushing Darius Henderson. He finished with aplomb under David Marshall, but the flag was long since raised much to the home hoardes' delight.
Watford were creating everything and Smith was the next to try his luck with a cross-cum-shot that had to be tipped over by Marshall. From the resulting corner Williamson skipped into the area only to see his low cross turned away by a retreating Norwich defence.
There were shouts for a penalty midway through the half when Mariappa appeared to be bundled to the ground when attacking a free-kick, but the officials were having none of his frantic appeals.
Norwich were content enough to counter the Hornets and this almost paid dividends just beyond the half hour mark when Jamie Cureton fired a drive just over Richard Lee's crossbar.
Watford needed a goal for all of their pressure, eventually it came, and it was little surprise that yet again Henderson turned goal scoring hero for the 'Orns.
The goal stemmed from the ever-fruitful right-wing partnership of Smith and Lloyd Doyley, with the former providing a beautiful threaded ball for the overlapping full-back, who coolly squared his cross for the stretching Henderson to touch home. Back of the net!
There were shades of offside, perhaps more so than for the striker's first effort, but it was no more than the visitors deserved.
In his first game in charge against Ipswich, Roeder had watched his side slump to a two-goal disadvantage at the break, and it was déjà vu all over again for the former Vicarage Road boss as his side went into the break.
From Johnson's lovely corner, Mariappa was left inexplicably unmarked heading the ball onto the post, from where it would rebound into the hapless Marshall's legs and drop neatly back into the net.
With little to lose and everything to gain the Canaries flew from the blocks, presumably under orders from irked boss Roeder.
But that only served to play into Boothroyd's side's hands even further, as they countered with venom.
Gavin Mahon, victim of some blood-letting at the weekend, was first to break into the yellow's area, seeing the ball smothered by the busy Marshall.
Roeder and assistant Lee Clark made a double change shortly after the start of the second half, with Jimmy Smith and Hartson replaced by Chris Martin and Croft.
It proved to do the trick as well, as Norwich roared back into the encounter just beyond the hour mark.
With Cureton escaping down the right, he was able to square the ball for super-sub Croft, who slid in to beat Dan Shittu to the ball to fire home from close range. It made for some nervy moments thereafter for the Hornets.
It also drew Boothroyd from his vantage point in the stands, although he needn't have worried unduly as the Hornets resettled into their earlier pattern.
With Norwich pressing, Watford came so close to netting a match winning third with just 10 minutes to go but it wasn't to be as first Smith lifted the ball over Marshall's head from the byline, and then Henderson returned the compliment before the Canaries cleared their lines.
More late pressure withstanding, the 'Orns stayed focused and completed their job in thoroughly convincing fashion when Marlon King latched on to Lee Williamson's threaded ball from the edge of the area.
Racing to the byline the red-hot front man cut the ball back into the net from the tightest of angles to notch his sixth goal in the last seven starts.
After the blip that was West Brom, the Watford bandwagon rolls on, and in some style too as all thoughts of Saturday's aberration were firmly wiped from the memory.
NORWICH (4-4-2): Marshall; Otsemobor, Shackell, M Taylor, Lappin; Chadwick (Brown 71), Brellier, J Smith (Croft 54), Russell; Hartson (Martin 54), Cureton. Subs: Gilks, Spillane.
WATFORD (4-4-2): Lee; Doyley, Shittu, Mariappa, Stewart; Johnson (O'Toole 90+2), Mahon (c), Williamson, T Smith; King (Priskin 90), Henderson. Subs: Poom, Ellington, Jackson.
BOOKINGS: NORWICH; Chadwick (unsporting behaviour, 27), Brellier (unsporting behaviour, 85). WATFORD; Mahon (unsporting behaviour, 12).
SENDINGS OFF: NORWICH; none. WATFORD; none.
GOALS: NORWICH; Croft (65). WATFORD; Henderson (36), Marshall o.g. (42), King (88).
REFEREE: Mr C Penton.
ATTENDANCE: 24,192 (1,109 Watford supporters)
