Business Segment Information (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Business Segment Information [Abstract]

Schedule of Entity-Wide Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services

Net sales for the Company's products and services are as follows for the three and six months endedJune 30, 2012 and July 2, 2011 (in thousands):

			Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
			June 30, 2012		July 2, 2011		June 30, 2012		July 2, 2011
Product net sales:
	Waters instrument systems		$	203,901	$	206,421	$	380,568	$	403,932
	Chemistry			71,960		74,299		146,900		148,021
	TA instrument systems			37,994		35,430		72,894		67,533
		Total product sales		313,855		316,150		600,362		619,486
Service net sales:
	Waters service			124,630		119,871		246,274		233,278
	TA service			12,980		11,606		25,287		22,466
		Total service sales		137,610		131,477		271,561		255,744
Total net sales			$	451,465	$	447,627	$	871,923	$	875,230