XML 47 R83.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.3.a.u2

Stock-Based Compensation - Range of exercise prices (Details) - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Number of outstanding options	1,455
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options	$ 158.61
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding	6 years 10 months 24 days
Number of options exercisable	729	800	900
Weighted-average exercise price of exercisable options	$ 134.94	$ 117.08	$ 103.63
Range $61.62 to $128.93 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Number of outstanding options	529
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options	$ 117.10
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding	5 years 1 month 6 days
Number of options exercisable	430
Weighted-average exercise price of exercisable options	$ 114.85
Range $128.94 to $192.62 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Number of outstanding options	520
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options	$ 160.06
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding	7 years 8 months 12 days
Number of options exercisable	208
Weighted-average exercise price of exercisable options	$ 149.37
Range $192.63 to $238.53 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Number of outstanding options	406
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options	$ 210.84
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding	8 years 2 months 12 days
Number of options exercisable	91
Weighted-average exercise price of exercisable options	$ 196.83

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

X

- Definition

The number of shares reserved for issuance pertaining to the outstanding exercisable stock options as of the balance sheet date in the customized range of exercise prices for which the market and performance vesting condition has been satisfied.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(iii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfExercisableOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The number of shares reserved for issuance pertaining to the outstanding stock options as of the balance sheet date for all option plans in the customized range of exercise prices.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfOutstandingOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Weighted average remaining contractual term for option awards outstanding, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageRemainingContractualTerm2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Weighted average exercise price as of the balance sheet date for those equity-based payment arrangements exercisable and outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)(iii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeExercisableOptionsWeightedAverageExercisePrice1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

The weighted average price as of the balance sheet date at which grantees could acquire the underlying shares with respect to all outstanding stock options which are in the customized range of exercise prices.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeOutstandingOptionsWeightedAverageExercisePriceBeginningBalance1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=wat_Range61Point63To128Point93Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=wat_Range128Point94To192Point62Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=wat_Range192Point63To23Point852Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: