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Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended
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Apr. 04, 2015 | Mar. 29, 2014
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Number of operating segments | 2 us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments |
Number of reportable segments | 1 us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments |
Product sales | $ 302,873 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet | $ 284,795 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Service sales | 157,531 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet | 145,713 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Total net sales | 460,404 us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet | 430,508 us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Waters instrument systems [Member] |  |
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Product sales | 188,504 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_WatersInstrumentSystemsMember | 176,364 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_WatersInstrumentSystemsMember
Chemistry [Member] |  |
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Product sales | 78,183 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_ChemistryMember | 75,203 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_ChemistryMember
TA instrument systems [Member] |  |
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Product sales | 36,186 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_TaInstrumentSystemsMember | 33,228 us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_TaInstrumentSystemsMember
Waters service [Member] |  |
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Service sales | 142,981 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_WatersServiceMember | 132,042 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_WatersServiceMember
TA service [Member] |  |
Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers [Line Items] |  |
Service sales | $ 14,550 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_TaServiceMember | $ 13,671 us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = wat_TaServiceMember

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- 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. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition 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. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Article 5 + Details
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- Definition 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. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Article 5 + Details
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- Definition Aggregate revenue during the period from services rendered in the normal course of business, after deducting allowances and discounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(d)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Article 5 + Details
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