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Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 27, 2014 | Jun. 28, 2014 | Mar. 29, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Sep. 28, 2013 | Jun. 29, 2013 | Mar. 30, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Effective income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 8.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 5.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Percentage point change in effective tax rate relating to infrequent income tax items |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6.9)wat_PercentagePointChangeInEffectiveTaxRateRelatingToInfrequentIncomeTaxItems | (8.6)wat_PercentagePointChangeInEffectiveTaxRateRelatingToInfrequentIncomeTaxItems
Income Taxes [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Excess tax benefit related to stock option plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 15,703,000 us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities | $ 15,842,000 us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities | $ 10,568,000 us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities
Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries | (3,000,000,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (3,000,000,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from operations before income taxes | 164,473,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 131,413,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 112,124,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 82,730,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 169,325,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 112,657,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 104,716,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 103,407,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 490,740,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 490,105,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest | 487,625,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Current income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57,537,000 us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 39,933,000 us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 78,401,000 us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,583,000 us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 169,000 us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | (52,219,000)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Federal income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,071,000 us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | (702,000)us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | 39,840,000 us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
State income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,791,000 us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | 5,142,000 us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | 5,599,000 us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Foreign income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32,258,000 us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | 35,662,000 us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations | (19,257,000)us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Federal tax computed at U.S. statutory income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 171,759,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 171,537,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 170,669,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Settlement of tax audits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (30,552,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements |  | (30,552,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements | (6,035,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,464,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes | 3,342,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes | 3,639,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Net effect of foreign operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (109,240,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential | (96,461,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential | (102,858,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Recognition of deferred tax asset associated with non-U.S. net operating loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (36,410,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Other income tax reconciliation adjustments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (5,863,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments | (7,764,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments | (2,823,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Provision for income taxes | 13,181,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 17,916,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 15,595,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 12,428,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 27,743,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 14,609,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 15,402,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | (17,652,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 59,120,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 40,102,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | 26,182,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Related to Fiscal Year 2012 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
R&D Tax Credit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch / wat_NatureOfTaxProvisionAxis = wat_RelatedToFiscalYear2012Member |  | 3,000,000 us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch / wat_NatureOfTaxProvisionAxis = wat_RelatedToFiscalYear2012Member |
Domestic |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 70,136,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember | 116,067,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember | 116,071,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Marginal effective income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember |  |
Foreign |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 420,604,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember | $ 374,038,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember | $ 371,554,000 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
Ireland [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Marginal effective income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = wat_IrelandMember |  |
United Kingdom [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Marginal effective income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 21.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = wat_UnitedKingdomMember |  |
Singapore [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Marginal effective income tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.00%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = wat_SingaporeMember |  |
Statutory tax rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17.00%wat_StatutoryTaxRate / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = wat_SingaporeMember |  |

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- Definition Amount of current and deferred federal income tax expense (benefit) attributable to income (loss) from continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32672-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Subparagraph 1 -Article 4 + Details
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- Definition Amount of current and deferred foreign income tax expense (benefit) attributable to income (loss) from continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Subparagraph 1 -Article 4 + Details
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- Definition Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a),(b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to other adjustments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319 + Details
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