XML 87 R73.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.3.1.900

Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 03, 2015	Jul. 04, 2015	Apr. 04, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 27, 2014	Jun. 28, 2014	Mar. 29, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments									2
Number of reportable segments									1
Product sales									$ 1,385,256	$ 1,346,729	$ 1,312,503
Service sales									657,076	642,615	591,715
Total net sales	$ 586,610	$ 500,578	$ 494,740	$ 460,404	$ 583,870	$ 493,165	$ 481,801	$ 430,508	$ 2,042,332	$ 1,989,344	$ 1,904,218
Maximum percentage of net sales to an individual customer									2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
Long-lived assets	333,355				321,583				$ 333,355	$ 321,583
United States [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									656,361	596,549	$ 557,734
Long-lived assets	192,352				181,851				192,352	181,851
Europe [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									555,886	607,080	573,786
Long-lived assets	128,189				126,080				128,189	126,080
China [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									278,600	238,892	240,535
Japan [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									145,184	163,468	170,115
Asia Other [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									272,179	237,668	216,229
Total Asia [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									695,963	640,028	626,879
Long-lived assets	11,868				12,416				11,868	12,416
Other Geographic Area [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									134,122	145,687	145,819
Long-lived assets	$ 946				$ 1,236				946	1,236
Waters instrument systems [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									895,626	871,048	840,608
Chemistry [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									317,941	312,890	304,130
TA instrument systems [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									171,689	162,791	167,765
Waters service [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Service sales									593,301	579,759	532,323
TA service [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Service sales									$ 63,775	$ 62,856	$ 59,392

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

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.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.13)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph a
-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 8
-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenuesFromExternalCustomersAndLongLivedAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wat_MaximumPercentageOfNetSalesToIndividualCustomer
Namespace Prefix:	wat_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=wat_UnitedStatesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=us-gaap_EuropeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=wat_ChinaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=wat_JapanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=wat_AsiaOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=us-gaap_AsiaPacificMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=wat_OtherGeographicAreaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=wat_WatersInstrumentSystemsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=wat_ChemistryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=wat_TaInstrumentSystemsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=wat_WatersServiceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=wat_TaServiceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: