A rare goal by centre-back Leon Barnett sparked a dramatic West Brom revival in their Saturday late show at the Hawthorns.
Barnett was not having a particularly happy game defensively against Watford as Albion suffered another bout of promotion jitters.
But all that changed early in the second half when he joined the attack for a free-kick by Zoltan Gera, and made his mark with a header that promised to change the course of the game and keep his team in an automatic promotion place.
It wasn't the most convincing Albion performance but they are still on course for the Premier League.
The Baggies knew precisely what was required to return to the summit above Stoke and Bristol City who had kicked off earlier in the day.
But Watford struck first with a 6th-minute goal from Leigh Bromby which must have made Albion boss Tony Mowbray furious.
Once again his team failed to defend a set-piece as Jobi McAnuff swung over a corner which John-Joe O'Toole headed powerfully at goalkeeper Dean Kiely who could only parry and Bromby welcomed an easy conversion at the far post.
The goal gave Watford confidence and Jonathan Greening's closerange shot was a rare effort from the frustrated Baggies who had Robert Koren, Ishmael Miller and Carl Hoefkens booked for niggling fouls.
Then Kevin Phillips had a shot but it was no real test for Watford keeper Richard Lee and anxious Albion nearly went two down in the 38th minute.
It was another set-piece and another scare. Watford striker, Tamas Priskin, rose unchallenged to deliver a fierce header from McAnuff's free-kick only to be foiled by a terrific reflex action save from Kiely who then watched in relief as Bromby fired over his crossbar.
Luck deserted Albion just before the break, however, when a superb free-kick from the edge of the penalty area by Neil Clement beat the Watford defensive wall only to smack solidly onto the crossbar and out of danger.
The equaliser Albion desperately needed came in the 49th minute from a freekick conceded by Watford skipper Peter Eustace on the left edge of his penalty area.
Gera curled it in and Barnett netted with a glancing header at the far post.
It changed the tempo of West Brom's performance and put Watford under enormous pressure at the start of the second half - but in the end a point each was a fair result.
HOW THEY RATED
WEST BROM
Kiely 6, Hoefkens 6, Barnett 5, Clement 6, Robinson 6, Gera 6, Greening 6, Koren 7, Morrison 6 (Brunt 6), Miller 6 (Bednar 5), Phillips 7.
Manager Mowbray 6
WATFORD
Lee 7, Doyley 6, SHITTU 8, Bromby 7 Stewart 6, McAnuff 7, O'Toole 7, Eustace 7, Smith 6, Henderson 7, Priskin 5 (Mariappa 5).
Manager Boothroyd 6
Referee M Dean 6
MAN OF THE MATCH
DANNY SHITTU
Commanding defender