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Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2017	Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Oct. 01, 2016	Jul. 02, 2016	Apr. 02, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments									2
Number of reportable segments									1
Product sales									$ 1,552,349	$ 1,460,296	$ 1,385,256
Service sales									756,729	707,127	657,076
Total net sales	$ 687,275	$ 565,584	$ 558,250	$ 497,969	$ 628,787	$ 526,830	$ 536,560	$ 475,246	$ 2,309,078	$ 2,167,423	$ 2,042,332
Maximum percentage of net sales to an individual customer									2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
Long-lived assets	349,278				337,118				$ 349,278	$ 337,118	$ 333,355
United States [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									669,274	665,280	656,361
Long-lived assets	186,344				207,062				186,344	207,062	192,352
Europe [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									636,472	577,257	555,886
Long-lived assets	136,440				114,848				136,440	114,848	128,189
China [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									387,059	331,354	278,600
Japan [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									167,258	167,977	145,184
Asia Other [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									308,300	283,653	272,179
Total Asia [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									862,617	782,984	695,963
Long-lived assets	24,774				14,376				24,774	14,376	11,868
Other Geographic Area [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Total net sales									140,715	141,902	134,122
Long-lived assets	$ 1,720				$ 832				1,720	832	946
Waters instrument systems [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									988,750	943,218	895,626
Chemistry consumables [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									372,157	345,413	317,941
TA instrument systems [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Product sales									191,442	171,665	171,689
Waters service [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Service sales									686,656	639,432	593,301
TA service [Member]
Business Segment Information [Line Items]
Service sales									$ 70,073	$ 67,695	$ 63,775

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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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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