<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001082257-03-000003
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030417
<FILING-DATE>20030609
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>BERTHIAUME DOUGLAS A
<CIK>0001082257
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>MA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-14010
<FILM-NUMBER>03737803
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>34 MAPLE STREET
<CITY>MILFORD
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01757
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>34 MAPLE STREET
<CITY>MILFORD
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01757
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>WATERS CORP /DE/
<CIK>0001000697
<ASSIGNED-SIC>3826
<IRS-NUMBER>133668640
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>34 MAPLE ST
<CITY>MILFORD
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01757
<PHONE>5084782000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>34 MAPLE STREET
<CITY>MILFORD
<STATE>MA
<ZIP>01757
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>WCD INVESTORS INC /DE/
<DATE-CHANGED>19960605
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>f4100005030609_165526217.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
<periodOfReport>2003-04-17</periodOfReport>
<notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001000697</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>WATERS CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>WAT</issuerTradingSymbol>
</issuer>
<reportingOwner>
<reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001082257</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BERTHIAUME DOUGLAS A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector>
<isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
<isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
<isOther>0</isOther>
<officerTitle>Chairman, President and CEO</officerTitle>
<otherText></otherText>
</reportingOwnerRelationship>
</reportingOwner>
<nonDerivativeSecurity>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-01-20</value>
</transactionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F1"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value></value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>77464.51</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionValue>
<value>0</value>
</transactionValue>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>D</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>773597.49</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>I</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value>By limited partnership interests</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeSecurity>
<nonDerivativeSecurity>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-04-17</value>
</transactionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F3"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value></value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>212765.5</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionValue>
<value>13.35</value>
<footnoteId id="F4"/>
</transactionValue>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>D</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>560831.99</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>I</value>
<footnoteId id="F5"/>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value>By limited partnership interests</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeSecurity>
<footnotes>
<footnote id="F1">A GRAT trust (the &quot;GRAT&quot;)for which the Reporting person is the trustee distributed by gift a 9.1021% limited partnership interest in The Douglas and Diana M. Berthiaume Family Limited Partnership (the &quot;Berthiaume LP&quot;), a limited partnership that owns 851,062 shares of the Issuer's Common Stock, to a beneficiary not attributable to the Reporting Person upon termination of the GRAT.</footnote>
<footnote id="F2">Each limited partnership interest is in the Berthiaume LP.  Each of the Reporting Person and his wife has a 1% general partnership interest in the Berthiaume LP.  In addition, prior to the transactions reported herein, a revocable trust (the &quot;Revocable Trust&quot;) for which the Reporting Person and his wife are the trustees had a 71.069% limited partnership interest in the  Berthiaume LP and the GRAT had a 26.9310% limited partnership interest in the Berthiaume LP.  The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Berthiaume LP and this report shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of such shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.</footnote>
<footnote id="F3">The Revocable Trust sold a 25% limited partnership interest in the Berthiaume LP to an entity not attributable to the Reporting Person.</footnote>
<footnote id="F4">The price reflected above is the per share price paid by the buyer for the number of shares of Common Stock owned by the Berthiaume LP and attributable to the 25% limited partnership interest sold by the Revocable Trust.</footnote>
<footnote id="F5">In addition to the 560,831.99 shares of Common Stock owned by the Berthiaume LP partnership interests attributable to the Reporting Person, the Reporting Person directly owns 1,498,075 shares of Common Stock and indirectly owns 25,252, 35,455.05 and 69,000 shares of common Stock owned by a family trust, the Reporting Person's 401(k) plan and the Reporting person's wife, respectively.  The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by such family trust and the Reporting Person's wife and this report shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of such shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.</footnote>
</footnotes>
<ownerSignature>
<signatureName>Douglas Berthiaume</signatureName>
<signatureDate>2003-06-06</signatureDate>
</ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
