XML 70 R51.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.10.0.1

Revenue Recognition - Schedule of Amount of Deferred Revenue and Customer Advances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 164,965	$ 166,840
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	204,257
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2018-09-30
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 164,965
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2019-09-29
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 22,856
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2020-09-27
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 16,436
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period

X

- Definition

Amount of transaction price allocated to performance obligation that has not been recognized as revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130556-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Period in which remaining performance obligation is expected to be recognized as revenue, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130556-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationExpectedTimingOfSatisfactionPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Revenue recognition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wat_RevenueRecognitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	wat_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Revenue remaining performance obligation current and noncurrent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wat_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	wat_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationExpectedTimingOfSatisfactionStartDateAxis=2018-09-30
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationExpectedTimingOfSatisfactionStartDateAxis=2019-09-29
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationExpectedTimingOfSatisfactionStartDateAxis=2020-09-27
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: