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Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 28, 2013	Jun. 29, 2013	Mar. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 29, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments									2
Number of reportable segments									1
Product sales									$ 1,312,503	$ 1,280,507	$ 1,322,136
Service sales									591,715	563,134	529,048
Total net sales	565,448	457,317	451,115	430,338	521,766	449,952	451,465	420,458	1,904,218	1,843,641	1,851,184
Maximum percentage of net sales to an individual customer									2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
Long-lived assets	324,932				273,279				324,932	273,279
United States [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									557,734	531,912	530,606
Long-lived assets	174,143				173,932				174,143	173,932
Europe [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									573,786	549,341	574,770
Long-lived assets	138,962				89,389				138,962	89,389
China [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									240,535	212,701	175,409
Japan [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									170,115	207,340	211,893
Asia Other [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									216,229	215,612	222,082
Total Asia [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									626,879	635,653	609,384
Long-lived assets	10,412				8,467				10,412	8,467
Other Geographic Area [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									145,819	126,735	136,424
Long-lived assets	1,415				1,491				1,415	1,491
Waters instrument systems [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Product sales									840,608	828,458	878,367
Chemistry [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Product sales									304,130	294,787	292,506
TA instrument systems [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Product sales									167,765	157,262	151,263
Waters service [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Service sales									532,323	509,412	480,553
TA service [Member]
Entity-Wide Information [Line Items]
Service sales									$ 59,392	$ 53,722	$ 48,495

X

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

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Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

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Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

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Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts.

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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