DEBT (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 814,139	$ 966,298
Long Term Debt Fair Value	836,654	978,652
Long-term Debt, Gross	800,150	950,668
Debt issuance costs, net	(831)	(984)
Unamortized interest rate swap proceeds	14,820	16,614
Less: current portion of long-term debt and short-term debt	150	150,668
Total long-term debt	813,989	815,630
Long-term Debt, gross [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	822,665	963,022
Carrying Value
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less: current portion of long-term debt and short-term debt	150	150,668
Total long-term debt	813,989	815,630
Carrying Value \| 5.51% Senior notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		150,000
Carrying Value \| 3.84% Senior notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	100,000	100,000
Carrying Value \| 3.70% Senior notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	225,000	225,000
Carrying Value \| 3.85% Senior notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	100,000	100,000
Carrying Value \| 4.24% Senior notes due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	200,000	200,000
Carrying Value \| 4.05% Senior notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	75,000	75,000
Carrying Value \| 4.11% Senior notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	100,000	100,000
Carrying Value \| Other debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	150	668
Estimated Fair Value
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less: current portion of long-term debt and short-term debt	150	150,668
Total long-term debt	836,504	827,984
Estimated Fair Value \| 5.51% Senior notes due 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value		154,509
Estimated Fair Value \| 3.84% Senior notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	102,472	102,463
Estimated Fair Value \| 3.70% Senior notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	228,783	226,946
Estimated Fair Value \| 3.85% Senior notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	102,164	100,338
Estimated Fair Value \| 4.24% Senior notes due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	208,873	203,592
Estimated Fair Value \| 4.05% Senior notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	76,997	74,630
Estimated Fair Value \| 4.11% Senior notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	103,226	99,876
Estimated Fair Value \| Other debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long Term Debt Fair Value	$ 150	$ 668

Amount of short-term debt and current maturity of long-term debt and capital lease obligations due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

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

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount as of the balance sheet date of the unamortized adjustment to the carrying value of an interest-bearing hedged item made under an effective interest rate fair value hedge that is amortized upon discontinuation of the interest rate fair value hedge.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 25
-Section 35
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82917030&loc=d3e75592-113984

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredGainLossOnDiscontinuationOfInterestRateFairValueHedge
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs of long-term debt classified as noncurrent and excluding amounts to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_LongtermDebtgrossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFiveFiftyOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeEightyFourMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeSeventyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesThreeEightyFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourTwentyFourMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourZeroFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cw_SeniorNotesFourElevenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: