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Business Segment Information - Summary of Net Sales for Company's Products and Services (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 28, 2019 | Sep. 29, 2018 | Sep. 28, 2019 | Sep. 29, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | $ 577,278 | $ 578,021 | $ 1,690,302 | $ 1,704,910
Waters Instrument Systems [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 223,859 | 238,986 | 647,248 | 677,017
Chemistry Consumables [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 100,256 | 95,979 | 299,801 | 293,818
TA Instrument Systems [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 46,458 | 43,557 | 131,292 | 135,673
Product [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 370,573 | 378,522 | 1,078,341 | 1,106,508
Waters Service [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 188,031 | 180,830 | 556,128 | 543,411
TA Service [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | 18,674 | 18,669 | 55,833 | 54,991
Service [Member] |  |  |  |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total net sales | $ 206,705 | $ 199,499 | $ 611,961 | $ 598,402

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- Definition Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130543-203045 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 606 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130545-203045 + Details
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