Waters (WAT) 10-Q 4 Nov 21 2021 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page - shares	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Oct. 29, 2021
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Central Index Key	0001000697
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Document Period End Date	Oct. 2, 2021
Entity Registrant Name	Waters Corporation
Entity File Number	01-14010
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-3668640
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Address, Address Line One	34 Maple Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Milford
Entity Address, State or Province	MA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	01757
City Area Code	508
Local Phone Number	478-2000
Trading Symbol	WAT
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		61,036,269

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 524,702	$ 436,695
Investments	130,490	6,451
Accounts receivable, net	532,957	573,316
Inventories	388,756	304,281
Other current assets	81,171	80,290
Total current assets	1,658,076	1,401,033
Property, plant and equipment, net	530,061	494,003
Intangible assets, net	246,080	258,645
Goodwill	436,754	444,362
Operating lease assets	84,845	93,252
Other assets	160,099	148,625
Total assets	3,115,915	2,839,920
Current liabilities:
Notes payable and debt	0	150,000
Accounts payable	88,904	72,212
Accrued employee compensation	76,182	72,166
Deferred revenue and customer advances	262,758	198,240
Current operating lease liabilities	26,839	27,764
Accrued income taxes	61,404	76,558
Accrued warranty	10,496	10,950
Other current liabilities	145,306	197,093
Total current liabilities	671,889	804,983
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	1,613,618	1,206,515
Long-term portion of retirement benefits	72,664	72,620
Long-term income tax liabilities	319,161	357,493
Long-term operating lease liabilities	58,381	68,197
Other long-term liabilities	84,980	97,968
Total long-term liabilities	2,148,804	1,802,793
Total liabilities	2,820,693	2,607,776
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 6, 7 and 11)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 5,000 shares authorized, none issued at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020	0
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 400,000 shares authorized, 162,075 and 161,666 shares issued, 61,167 and 62,309 shares outstanding at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively	1,621	1,617
Additional paid-in capital	2,106,301	2,029,465
Retained earnings	7,584,593	7,107,989
Treasury stock, at cost, 100,908 and 99,357 shares at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively	(9,281,679)	(8,788,984)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(115,614)	(117,943)
Total stockholders' equity	295,222	232,144
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 3,115,915	$ 2,839,920

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value per share	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value per share	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	400,000,000	400,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	162,075,000	161,666,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	61,167,000	62,309,000
Treasury stock, shares	100,908,000	99,357,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Revenues:
Total net sales	$ 659,233	$ 593,784	$ 1,949,425	$ 1,578,707
Costs and operating expenses:
Selling and administrative expenses	152,545	135,430	453,954	400,614
Research and development expenses	41,986	34,971	125,027	101,115
Purchased intangibles amortization	1,759	2,657	5,408	7,900
Litigation provisions			0	1,180
Total costs and operating expenses	467,418	435,400	1,389,918	1,196,929
Operating income	191,815	158,384	559,507	381,778
Other income (expense), net	(607)	(1,039)	18,073	(2,149)
Interest expense	(11,081)	(10,915)	(34,054)	(38,012)
Interest income	2,548	4,007	10,347	12,046
Income before income taxes	182,675	150,437	553,873	353,663
Provision for income taxes	21,490	23,668	77,269	50,403
Net income	$ 161,185	$ 126,769	$ 476,604	$ 303,260
Net income per basic common share	$ 2.63	$ 2.04	$ 7.72	$ 4.89
Weighted-average number of basic common shares	61,359	62,002	61,771	62,057
Net income per diluted common share	$ 2.60	$ 2.03	$ 7.66	$ 4.86
Weighted-average number of diluted common shares and equivalents	61,888	62,303	62,244	62,371
Product [Member]
Revenues:
Total net sales	$ 419,133	$ 376,239	$ 1,242,110	$ 965,342
Costs and operating expenses:
Costs and operating expenses	171,364	166,330	506,985	420,971
Service [Member]
Revenues:
Total net sales	240,100	217,545	707,315	613,365
Costs and operating expenses:
Costs and operating expenses	$ 99,764	$ 96,012	$ 298,544	$ 265,149

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 161,185	$ 126,769	$ 476,604	$ 303,260
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Foreign currency translation	(4,560)	601	1,256	(7,156)
Unrealized gains on investments before income taxes	17	0	2	0
Unrealized gains on investments, net of tax	17	0	2	0
Retirement liability adjustment before reclassifications	(103)	(654)	691	(880)
Amounts reclassified to other income	248	352	682	1,028
Retirement liability adjustment before income taxes	145	(302)	1,373	148
Income tax expense	(37)	(85)	(302)	(197)
Retirement liability adjustment, net of tax	108	(387)	1,071	(49)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(4,435)	214	2,329	(7,205)
Comprehensive income	$ 156,750	$ 126,983	$ 478,933	$ 296,055

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 476,604	$ 303,260
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Stock-based compensation	21,949	27,715
Deferred income taxes	9,219	1,089
Depreciation	52,760	49,407
Amortization of intangibles	45,166	41,684
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Decrease in accounts receivable	23,472	96,955
Increase in inventories	(93,878)	(8,139)
Increase in other current assets	(9,123)	(16,776)
Increase in other assets	(6,116)	(2,612)
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(4,768)	46,721
Increase in deferred revenue and customer advances	71,889	32,053
Decrease in other liabilities	(57,838)	(48,332)
Net cash provided by operating activities	529,336	523,025
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property, plant, equipment and software capitalization	(116,614)	(125,340)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(76,664)
Investment in unaffiliated companies	(867)	(3,850)
Payments for intellectual property licenses	(7,000)	0
Purchases of investments	(241,230)	(22,458)
Maturities and sales of investments	117,283	1,751
Net cash used in investing activities	(248,428)	(226,561)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuances	510,000	315,000
Payments on debt	(250,000)	(425,366)
Payments of debt issuance costs	(8,537)	0
Proceeds from stock plans	55,000	28,421
Purchases of treasury shares	(492,695)	(196,353)
Proceeds from derivative contracts	2,325	10,330
Net cash used in financing activities	(183,907)	(267,968)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(8,994)	10,723
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	88,007	39,219
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	436,695	335,715
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 524,702	$ 374,934

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ (216,281)	$ 1,610	$ 1,926,753	$ 6,587,403	$ (8,612,576)	$ (119,471)
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2019		161,030
Adoption of new accounting pronouncement	(985)			(985)
Net income	303,260			303,260
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(7,205)					(7,205)
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	5,593		5,593
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares		31
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised	22,946	$ 2	22,944
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised, shares		184
Treasury stock	(176,352)				(176,352)
Stock-based compensation	27,443	$ 2	27,441
Stock-based compensation, shares		136
Ending balance at Sep. 26, 2020	(41,581)	$ 1,614	1,982,731	6,889,678	(8,788,928)	(126,676)
Ending Balance, shares at Sep. 26, 2020		161,381
Beginning balance at Jun. 27, 2020	(191,742)	$ 1,613	1,959,498	6,762,909	(8,788,872)	(126,890)
Beginning Balance, shares at Jun. 27, 2020		161,273
Net income	126,769			126,769
Other comprehensive income (loss)	214					214
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	1,641		1,641
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares		10
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised	12,041		12,040
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised, shares		97
Treasury stock	(56)				(56)
Stock-based compensation	9,552		9,552
Stock-based compensation, shares		1
Ending balance at Sep. 26, 2020	(41,581)	$ 1,614	1,982,731	6,889,678	(8,788,928)	(126,676)
Ending Balance, shares at Sep. 26, 2020		161,381
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	232,144	$ 1,617	2,029,465	7,107,989	(8,788,984)	(117,943)
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2020		161,666
Net income	476,604			476,604
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,329					2,329
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	9,578		9,578
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares		40
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised	46,112	$ 3	46,109
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised, shares		275
Treasury stock	(492,695)				(492,695)
Stock-based compensation	21,150	$ 1	21,149
Stock-based compensation, shares		94
Ending balance at Oct. 02, 2021	295,222	$ 1,621	2,106,301	7,584,593	(9,281,679)	(115,614)
Ending Balance, shares at Oct. 02, 2021		162,075
Beginning balance at Jul. 03, 2021	268,273	$ 1,620	2,090,052	7,423,408	(9,135,628)	(111,179)
Beginning Balance, shares at Jul. 03, 2021		162,017
Net income	161,185			161,185
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(4,435)					(4,435)
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	2,567		2,567
Issuance of common stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan, shares		8
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised	7,397	$ 1	7,396
Issuance of common stock for stock options exercised, shares		45
Treasury stock	(146,051)				(146,051)
Stock-based compensation	6,286		6,286
Stock-based compensation, shares		5
Ending balance at Oct. 02, 2021	$ 295,222	$ 1,621	$ 2,106,301	$ 7,584,593	$ (9,281,679)	$ (115,614)
Ending Balance, shares at Oct. 02, 2021		162,075

Basis of Presentation and Summa

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	1 Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Waters Corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a specialty measurement company that operates with a fundamental underlying purpose to advance the science that enables our customers to enhance human health and well-being. The Company has pioneered analytical workflow solutions involving liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials and food sciences for more than 60 years. The Company primarily designs, manufactures, sells and services high performance liquid chromatography (“HPLC”), ultra performance liquid chromatography (“UPLC TM (“LC-MS”) LC-MS TM The Company’s interim fiscal quarter typically ends on the thirteenth Saturday of each quarter. Since the Company’s fiscal year end is December 31, the first and fourth fiscal quarters may have more or less than thirteen complete weeks. The Company’s third fiscal quarters for 2021 and 2020 ended on October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, respectively. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions It is management’s opinion that the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (which are normal and recurring) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K Risks and Uncertainties The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the analytical instrument industry, including, but not limited to, global economic and financial market conditions, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, fluctuations in customer demand, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, costs of developing new technologies, levels of debt and debt service requirements, risk of disruption, dependence on key personnel, protection and litigation of proprietary technology, shifts in taxable income between tax jurisdictions and compliance with regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and similar foreign regulatory authorities and agencies. Both the Company’s domestic and international operations have been and continue to be affected by the ongoing global COVID-19 COVID-19 Through the date of the issuance of these financial statements, the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows have not been materially impacted and, thus, the Company concluded that no goodwill or long-lived asset impairment analyses were required. Further, there have been no violations of debt covenants. Any prolonged material disruption of the Company’s employees, suppliers, manufacturing, or customers could materially impact its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Translation of Foreign Currencies The functional currency of each of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries is the local currency of its country of domicile, except for the Company’s subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Cayman Islands, where the underlying transactional cash flows are denominated in currencies other than the respective local currency of domicile. The functional currency of the Hong Kong, Singapore and Cayman Islands subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar, based on the respective entity’s cash flows. For the Company’s foreign operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date, while revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the respective period. Any resulting translation gains or losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated balance sheets. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments Cash equivalents represent highly liquid investments, with original maturities of 90 days or less, while investments with longer maturities are classified as investments. The Company maintains cash balances in various operating accounts in excess of federally insured limits, and in foreign subsidiary accounts in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $371 million out of $655 million and $364 million out of $443 million, respectively, of the Company’s total cash, cash equivalents and investments were held by foreign subsidiaries. In addition, $240 million out of $655 million and $254 million out of $443 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments were held in currencies other than the U.S. dollar at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company has very limited use of rebates and other cash considerations payable to customers and, as a result, the transaction price determination does not have any material variable consideration. The Company does not consider there to be significant concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade receivables due to the short-term nature of the balances, the Company having a large and diverse customer base, and the Company having a strong historical experience of collecting receivables with minimal defaults. As a result, credit risk is considered low across territories and trade receivables are considered to be a single class of financial asset. The allowance for credit losses is based on a number of factors and is calculated by applying a historical loss rate to trade receivable aging balances to estimate a general reserve balance along with an additional adjustment for any specific receivables with known or anticipated issues affecting the likelihood of recovery. Past due balances with a probability of default based on historical data as well as relevant available forward-looking information are included in the specific adjustment. The historical loss rate is reviewed on at least an annual basis and the allowance for credit losses is reviewed quarterly for any required adjustments. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers. Trade receivables related to instrument sales are collateralized by the instrument that is sold. If there is a risk of default related to a receivable that is collateralized, then the fair value of the collateral is calculated and adjusted for the cost to re-possess, re-sell The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s allowance for credit losses for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Impact of Additions Deductions Balance at Allowance for Credit Losses October 2, 2021 $ 14,381 $ — $ 3,388 $ (4,107 ) $ 13,662 September 26, 2020 $ 9,560 $ 985 $ 7,826 $ (5,784 ) $ 12,587 Other Investments During the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, the Company made investments in unaffiliated companies of $1 million and $4 million, respectively. During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company recorded an unrealized gain on an equity security still held at the reporting date of approximately $10 million within other income (expense) on the income statement. This unrealized gain was recorded as an upward price adjustment to the carrying value of the investment due to an observable price change of a similar security issued during the current period. During the nine months ended September 26, 2020, the Company recorded an unrealized loss on an equity security still held at the reporting date of approximately $1 million within other income (expense) on the income statement. This unrealized loss was recorded as a downward price adjustment to the carrying value of the investment due to an observable price change of a similar security issued during the current period. Fair Value Measurements In accordance with the accounting standards for fair value measurements and disclosures, certain of the Company’s assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize observable data, such as quoted prices in active markets. Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize data points other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly. Fair values determined by Level 3 inputs utilize unobservable data points for which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions. The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: U.S. Treasury securities $ 12,043 $ — $ 12,043 $ — Corporate debt securities 83,045 — 83,045 — Time deposits 35,803 — 35,803 — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,587 38,587 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 93 — 93 — Total $ 169,571 $ 38,587 $ 130,984 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,307 $ — $ — $ 1,307 Foreign currency exchange contracts 375 — 375 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 12,322 — 12,322 — Total $ 14,004 $ — $ 12,697 $ 1,307 The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: Time deposits $ 6,451 $ — $ 6,451 $ — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,988 38,988 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 836 — 836 — Total $ 46,275 $ 38,988 $ 7,287 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,185 $ — $ — $ 1,185 Foreign currency exchange contracts 185 — 185 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 44,996 — 44,996 — Total $ 46,366 $ — $ 45,181 $ 1,185 Fair Value of 401(k) Restoration Plan Assets The 401(k) Restoration Plan is a nonqualified defined contribution plan and the assets were held in registered mutual funds and have been classified as Level 1. The fair values of the assets in the plan are determined through market and observable sources from daily quoted prices on nationally recognized securities exchanges. Fair Value of Cash Equivalents, Investments, Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts and Interest Rate Cross-Currency Swap Agreements The fair values of the Company’s cash equivalents, investments, foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements are determined through market and observable sources and have been classified as Level 2. These assets and liabilities have been initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued, typically utilizing third-party pricing services. The pricing services use many inputs to determine value, including reportable trades, benchmark yields, credit spreads, broker/dealer quotes, current spot rates and other industry and economic events. The Company validates the prices provided by third-party pricing services by reviewing their pricing methods and obtaining market values from other pricing sources. Fair Value of Contingent Consideration The fair value of the Company’s liability for contingent consideration relates to earnout payments in connection with the December 2020 acquisition of Integrated Software Solutions (“ISS”) and is determined using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model, which uses significant unobservable inputs, and has been classified as Level 3. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability are recorded in the results of operations. The fair value of the contingent consideration liability associated with future earnout payments is based on several factors, including the achievement of certain revenue and customer account milestones over the two years after the acquisition date and a discount rate that reflects both the likelihood of achieving the estimated future results and the Company’s creditworthiness. A change in any of these unobservable inputs can significantly change the fair value of the contingent consideration. The fair value of future contingent consideration payments related to the December 2020 acquisition of ISS was estimated to be $1 million at both October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments The Company’s accounts receivable and accounts payable are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value due to their short-term nature. The carrying value of the Company’s variable interest rate debt approximates fair value due to the variable nature of the interest rate. The carrying value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was $1.3 billion and $910 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated using discounted cash flow models, based on estimated current rates offered for similar debt under current market conditions for the Company. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated to be $1.3 billion and $963 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, using Level 2 inputs. Derivative Transactions The Company is a global company that operates in over 35 countries and, as a result, the Company’s net sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and balance sheet amounts are significantly impacted by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company is exposed to currency price risk on foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations when it translates its non-U.S. The Company’s principal strategies in managing exposures to changes in foreign currency exchange rates are to (1) naturally hedge the foreign-currency-denominated liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet against corresponding assets of the same currency, such that any changes in liabilities due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates are typically offset by corresponding changes in assets and (2) mitigate foreign exchange risk exposure of international operations by hedging the variability in the movement of foreign currency exchange rates on a portion of its Euro-denominated net asset investments. The Company presents the derivative transactions in financing activities in the statement of cash flows. Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts The Company does not specifically enter into any derivatives that hedge foreign-currency-denominated operating assets, liabilities or commitments on its balance sheet, other than a portion of certain third-party accounts receivable and accounts payable, and the Company’s net worldwide intercompany receivables and payables, which are eliminated in consolidation. The Company periodically aggregates its net worldwide balances by currency and then enters into foreign currency exchange contracts that mature within 90 days to hedge a portion of the remaining balance to minimize some of the Company’s currency price risk exposure. The foreign currency exchange contracts are not designated for hedge accounting treatment. Principal hedged currencies include the Euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Mexican peso and Brazilian real. Interest Rate Cross-Currency Swap Agreements As of October 2, 2021, the Company had entered The Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements included in the consolidated balance sheets are classified as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Notional Value Fair Value Notional Value Fair Value Foreign currency exchange contracts: Other current assets $ 19,000 $ 93 $ 66,690 $ 836 Other current liabilities $ 46,772 $ 375 $ 20,000 $ 185 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Other liabilities $ 340,000 $ 12,322 $ 560,000 $ 44,996 Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ 20,219 $ 44,996 The following is a summary of the activity included in the consolidated statements of operations and statements of comprehensive income related to the foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements (in thousands): Financial Statement Classification Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, September 26, October 2, September 26, Foreign currency exchange contracts: Realized (losses) gains on closed contracts Cost of sales $ (774 ) $ 1,113 $ 681 $ (45 ) Unrealized (losses) gains on open contracts Cost of sales (933 ) 808 (2,256 ) 1,455 Cumulative net pre-tax Cost of sales $ (1,707 ) $ 1,921 $ (1,575 ) $ 1,410 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Interest earned Interest income $ 2,305 $ 3,777 $ 9,505 $ 11,275 Unrealized gains on open contracts Other comprehensive $ 7,762 $ 19,582 $ 24,777 $ 19,675 Stockholders’ Equity In January 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $4 billion of its outstanding common stock over a two-year pre-existing The Company had $20 million of treasury stock purchases that were accrued and unsettled at December 31, 2019. These transactions were settled in January 2020. The Company did not have any unsettled treasury stock purchases as of December 31, 2020 or October 2, 2021. Product Warranty Costs The Company accrues estimated product warranty costs at the time of sale, which are included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations. While the Company engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of its component suppliers, the Company’s warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, material usage and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. The amount of the accrued warranty liability is based on historical information, such as past experience, product failure rates, number of units repaired and estimated costs of material and labor. The liability is reviewed for reasonableness at least quarterly. The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s accrued warranty liability for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Accruals for Settlements Balance at Accrued warranty liability: October 2, 2021 $ 10,950 $ 6,537 $ (6,991 ) $ 10,496 September 26, 2020 $ 11,964 $ 5,442 $ (7,145 ) $ 10,261 Restructuring In January 2020, the Company made organizational changes to better align its resources with its growth and innovation strategies, resulting in a worldwide workforce reduction, impacting 3% of the Company’s employees. During the three and nine months ended September 26, 2020, the Company incurred $6 million and $27 million of severance-related costs, lease termination costs and other related costs. Restructuring charges incurred during the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 were immaterial. Other Items During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company executed a settlement agreement to resolve patent infringement litigation with Bruker Corporation and Bruker Daltronik GmbH regarding their timsTOF product line. In connection with the settlement, the Company is entitled to receive $10 million in guaranteed payments, including minimum royalty payments, which was recognized within other income in our consolidated statement of operations. During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company received $3 million in guaranteed payments, net of applicable withholding taxes.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue Recognition	2 Revenue Recognition The Company’s deferred revenue liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets consist of the obligation on instrument service contracts and customer payments received in advance, prior to transfer of control of the instrument. The Company records deferred revenue primarily related to its service contracts, where consideration is billable at the beginning of the service period. The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s deferred revenue and customer advances for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Balance at the beginning of the period $ 239,759 $ 213,695 Recognition of revenue included in balance at beginning of the period (197,279 ) (177,667 ) Revenue deferred during the period, net of revenue recognized 264,184 213,895 Balance at the end of the period $ 306,664 $ 249,923 The Company classified $44 million and $42 million of deferred revenue and customer advances in other long-term liabilities at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The amount of deferred revenue and customer advances equals the transaction price allocated to unfulfilled performance obligations for the period presented. Such amounts are expected to be recognized in the future as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized in: One year $ 262,758 13- 24 25,076 25 18,830 Total $ 306,664

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Marketable Securities	3 Marketable Securities The Company’s marketable securities within cash equivalents and investments included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities $ 12,040 $ 3 $ — $ 12,043 Corporate debt securities 83,045 8 (8 ) 83,045 Time deposits 35,803 — — 35,803 Total $ 130,888 $ 11 $ (8 ) $ 130,891 Amounts included in: Cash equivalents $ 401 $ — $ — $ 401 Investments 130,487 11 (8 ) 130,490 Total $ 130,888 $ 11 $ (8 ) $ 130,891 December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Fair Time deposits 6,451 — — 6,451 Total $ 6,451 $ — $ — $ 6,451 Amounts included in: Investments 6,451 — — 6,451 Total $ 6,451 $ — $ — $ 6,451 The estimated fair value of marketable debt securities by maturity date is as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Due in one year or less $ 128,149 $ 6,451 Due after one year through three years 2,742 — Total $ 130,891 $ 6,451

Inventories

Inventories	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	4 Inventories Inventories are classified as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Raw materials $ 158,529 $ 133,490 Work in progress 25,296 18,678 Finished goods 204,931 152,113 Total inventories $ 388,756 $ 304,281

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

Goodwill and Other Intangibles	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangibles	5 Goodwill and Other Intangibles The carrying amount of goodwill was $437 million and $444 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The effect of foreign currency translation decreased goodwill by $7 million. The Company’s intangible assets included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (dollars in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Gross Accumulated Weighted- Gross Accumulated Weighted- Capitalized software $ 576,988 $ 419,736 5 years $ 584,452 $ 409,847 5 years Purchased intangibles 202,094 162,895 11 years 205,585 160,342 11 years Trademarks 9,680 — — 9,680 — — Licenses 12,616 5,944 7 years 5,923 5,697 6 years Patents and other intangibles 99,906 66,629 8 years 90,699 61,808 8 years Total $ 901,284 $ 655,204 7 years $ 896,339 $ 637,694 7 years During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company paid $7 million in connection with an existing licensing arrangement. The payment was tied to the commercial launch of Waters ™ ™

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	6 Debt On September 17, 2021, the Company entered into an amended and restated credit agreement (the “2021 Credit Agreement”), which amended the Company’s existing credit agreement entered into in 2017 (the “2017 Credit Agreement”). The 2021 Credit Agreement provides for a $1.8 billion revolving facility (the “2021 Credit Facility”) and converted the $300 million term loan under the 2017 Credit Agreement into part of the new revolving facility. As of October 2, 2021, the 2021 Credit Facility had a total of $310 million outstanding. As of December 31, 2020, the revolving credit facility and the term loan governed by the 2017 Credit Agreement had a total of $100 million and $300 million, respectively, outstanding. The 2021 Credit Facility matures on September 17, 2026 and requires no scheduled prepayments before that date. The interest rates applicable to the 2021 Credit Agreement are, at the Company’s option, equal to either the alternate base rate (which is a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (1) the prime rate in effect on such day, (2) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Rate on such day plus 1/2 of 1% per annum and (3) the adjusted LIBO rate on such day (or if such day is not a business day, the immediately preceding business day) for a deposit in U.S. dollars with a maturity of one month plus 1% per annum) or the applicable 1, 3 or 6 month adjusted LIBO rate or EURIBO rate for Euro-denominated loans, in each case, plus an interest rate margin based upon the Company’s leverage ratio, which can range between 0 and 12.5 basis points for alternate base rate loans and between 80 and 112.5 basis points for LIBO rate or EURIBO rate loans. The facility fee on the 2021 Credit Agreement ranges between 7.5 and 25 basis points per annum, based on the leverage ratio, of the amount of the revolving facility commitments and the outstanding term loan. The 2021 Credit Agreement requires that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, the 2021 Credit Agreement includes negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default that are customary for investment grade credit facilities. In March 2021, the Company issued the following senior unsecured notes: Senior Unsecured Notes Term Interest Rate Face Value Maturity Date Series N 5 years 1.68 % $ 100 March Series O 10 years 2.25 % $ 400 March The Company used the proceeds from the issuance of these senior unsecured notes to repay other outstanding debt and for general corporate purposes. Interest on the Series N and O Senior Notes is payable semi-annually. The Company may prepay some or all of the Senior Notes at any time in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Senior Notes then outstanding, plus the applicable make-whole amount for Series N and O Senior Notes, in each case, upon no more than 60 nor less than 20 days’ written notice to the holders of the Senior Notes. In the event of a change in control (as defined in the note purchase agreement) of the Company, the Company may be required to prepay the Senior Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest. Other provisions for these senior unsecured notes are similar to the existing senior unsecured notes, as described below. As of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had a total of $1.3 billion and $1.0 billion, respectively, of outstanding senior unsecured notes. Interest on the fixed rate senior unsecured notes is payable semi-annually each year. Interest on the floating rate senior unsecured notes is payable quarterly. The Company may prepay all or some of the senior unsecured notes at any time in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding, plus the applicable make-whole amount or prepayment premium for the Series H senior unsecured note. In the event of a change in control of the Company (as defined in the note purchase agreement), the Company may be required to prepay the senior unsecured notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest. These senior unsecured notes require that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, these senior unsecured notes include customary negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default. The Company had the following outstanding debt at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Senior unsecured notes—Series E—3.97%, due March 2021 — 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series F—3.40%, due June 2021 — 100,000 Total notes payable and debt, current — 150,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series G—3.92%, due June 2024 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series H—floating rate*, due June 2024 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series I — 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series K—3.44%, due May 2026 160,000 160,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series L—3.31%, due September 2026 200,000 200,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series M—3.53%, due September 2029 300,000 300,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series N—1.68%, due March 2026 100,000 — Senior unsecured notes—Series O—2.25%, due March 2031 400,000 — Credit agreement 310,000 400,000 Unamortized debt issuance costs (6,382 ) (3,485 ) Total long-term debt 1,613,618 1,206,515 Total debt $ 1,613,618 $ 1,356,515 * Series H senior unsecured notes bear interest at a 3-month As of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had a total amount available to borrow under the 2021 or 2017 Credit Agreement of $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively, after outstanding letters of credit. The weighted-average interest rates applicable to the senior unsecured notes and credit agreement borrowings collectively were 2.67% and 2.92% at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. As of October 2, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all debt covenants. The Company and its foreign subsidiaries also had available short-term lines of credit totaling $122 million and $109 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, for the purpose of short-term borrowing and issuance of commercial guarantees. None of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries had outstanding short-term borrowings as of October 2, 2021 or December 31, 2020. As of October 2, 2021, the Company had entered into three-year interest rate cross-currency swap derivative agreements with an aggregate notional value of $340 million to hedge the variability in the movement of foreign currency exchange rates on a portion of its Euro-denominated net asset investments.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	7 Income Taxes The four principal jurisdictions in which the Company manufactures are the U.S., Ireland, the U.K. and Singapore, where the statutory tax rates were 21%, 12.5%, 19% and 17%, respectively, as of October 2, 2021. The Company had a contractual tax rate of 0% on qualifying activities in Singapore through March 2021, based upon the achievement of certain contractual milestones. The Company has a new Development and Expansion Incentive in Singapore that provides a concessionary income tax rate of 5% on certain types of income for the period April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026. The effect of applying the concessionary income tax rates rather than the statutory tax rate to income from qualifying activities in Singapore increased the Company’s net income for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 by $13 million and $12 million, respectively, and increased the Company’s net income per diluted share by $0.20 for both periods. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 was 11.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The decrease in the effective income tax rate can be attributed to the impact of quarter-specific adjustments and differences in the proportionate amounts of pre-tax The Company’s effective tax rate for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 was 14.0% and 14.3%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 includes a $6 million tax benefit related to stock-based compensation. This income tax benefit decreased the effective tax rate by 1.1 percentage points for the nine months ended October 2, 2021. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 26, 2020 includes a $6 million income tax benefit related to certain restructuring charges and a $3 million tax benefit related to stock-based compensation. These income tax benefits decreased the effective tax rate by 1.8 percentage points and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, for the nine months ended September 26, 2020. The remaining differences between the effective tax rates can primarily be attributed to differences in the proportionate amounts of pre-tax The Company accounts for its uncertain tax return positions in accordance with the accounting standards for income taxes, which require financial statement reporting of the expected future tax consequences of uncertain tax reporting positions on the presumption that all concerned tax authorities possess full knowledge of those tax reporting positions, as well as all of the pertinent facts and circumstances, but prohibit any discounting of unrecognized tax benefits associated with those reporting positions for the time value of money. The Company continues to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the provision for income taxes. The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Balance at the beginning of the period $ 28,666 $ 27,790 Net reductions for settlement of tax audits (878 ) — Net reductions for lapse of statutes taken during the period (292 ) (427 ) Net additions for tax positions taken during the current period 966 907 Balance at the end of the period $ 28,462 $ 28,270 With limited exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to tax audit examinations in significant jurisdictions for the years ended on or before December 31, 2015. The Company continuously monitors the lapsing of statutes of limitations on potential tax assessments for related changes in the measurement of unrecognized tax benefits, related net interest and penalties, and deferred tax assets and liabilities. As of October 2, 2021, the Company expects to record reductions in the measurement of its unrecognized tax benefits and related net interest and penalties of $18 million within the next twelve months due to potential tax audit settlements and the lapsing of statutes of limitations on potential tax assessments. The Company does not expect to record any other material reductions in the measurement of its unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	8 Stock-Based Compensation The Company maintains various stockholder-approved, stock-based compensation plans which allow for the issuance of incentive or non-qualified In May 2020, the Company’s stockholders approved the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (“2020 Plan”). As of October 2, 2021, the 2020 Plan had 6.7 million shares available for grant in the form of incentive or non-qualified The Company accounts for stock-based compensation costs in accordance with the accounting standards for stock-based compensation, which require that all share-based payments to employees be recognized in the statements of operations, based on their grant date fair values. The Company recognizes the expense using the straight-line attribution method. The stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards that ultimately are expected to vest; therefore, the amount of expense has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience. If actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense and the​​​​​​​ Company’s results of operations could be materially impacted. In addition, if the Company employs different assumptions in the application of these standards, the compensation expense that the Company records in the future periods may differ significantly from what the Company has recorded in the current period.​​​​​​​ The consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 include the following stock-based compensation expense related to stock option awards, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance stock unit awards and the employee stock purchase plan (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Cost of sales $ 468 $ 645 $ 1,828 $ 1,850 Selling and administrative expenses 4,116 7,747 15,810 22,472 Research and development expenses 1,769 1,201 4,311 3,393 Total stock-based compensation $ 6,353 $ 9,593 $ 21,949 $ 27,715 Stock Options In determining the fair value of the stock options, the Company makes a variety of assumptions and estimates, including volatility measures, expected yields and expected stock option lives. The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company uses implied volatility on its publicly-traded options as the basis for its estimate of expected volatility. The Company believes that implied volatility is the most appropriate indicator of expected volatility because it is generally reflective of historical volatility and expectations of how future volatility will differ from historical volatility. The expected life assumption for grants is based on historical experience for the population of non-qualified zero-coupon Nine Months Ended Options Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate Option Fair Values October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Options issued in thousands 160 267 Risk-free interest rate 0.8 % 1.2 % Expected life in years 6 6 Expected volatility 32.4 % 27.8 % Expected dividends — — Nine Months Ended Weighted-Average Exercise Price and Fair Value of Options on the Date of Grant October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Exercise price $ 281.23 $ 215.12 Fair value $ 91.46 $ 62.93 The following table summarizes stock option activity for the plans for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Number of Shares Exercise Price per Share Weighted-Average Outstanding at December 31, 2020 1,067 $ 75.94 to $ $ 179.59 Granted 160 $ 250.15 to $ $ 281.23 Exercised (275 ) $ 99.22 to $ $ 167.89 Canceled (251 ) $ 139.51 to $ $ 197.05 Outstanding at October 2, 2021 701 $ 75.94 to $ $ 200.84 Restricted Stock During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company granted four thousand shares of restricted stock. The weighted-average fair value per share of these awards on the grant date was $254.51. Restricted Stock Units The following table summarizes the unvested restricted stock unit award activity for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Shares Weighted-Average Unvested at December 31, 2020 271 $ 202.00 Granted 88 $ 283.10 Vested (86 ) $ 183.94 Forfeited (22 ) $ 221.64 Unvested at October 2, 2021 251 $ 234.90 Restricted stock units are generally granted annually in February and vest in equal annual installments over a five-year period. Performance Stock Units The Company’s performance stock units are equity compensation awards with a market vesting condition based on the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) relative to the TSR of the components of the S&P Health Care Index. TSR is the change in value of a stock price over time, including the reinvestment of dividends. The vesting schedule ranges from 0% to 200% of the target shares awarded. Beginning with the grants made in 2020, the vesting conditions for performance stock units now include a performance condition based on future sales growth. In determining the fair value of the performance stock units, the Company makes a variety of assumptions and estimates, including volatility measures, expected yields and expected terms. The fair value of each performance stock unit grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Monte Carlo simulation model. The Company uses implied volatility on its publicly-traded options as the basis for its estimate of expected volatility. The Company believes that implied volatility is the most appropriate zero-coupon Nine Months Ended Performance Stock Units Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Performance stock units issued (in thousands) 41 58 Risk-free interest rate 0.2 % 1.3 % Expected life in years 2.9 2.9 Expected volatility 38.7 % 25.1 % Average volatility of peer companies 34.7 % 26.1 % Correlation coefficient 45.8 % 36.6 % Expected dividends — — The following table summarizes the unvested performance stock unit award activity for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Shares Weighted-Average Unvested at December 31, 2020 95 $ 230.36 Granted 41 $ 315.98 Vested (5 ) $ 242.94 Forfeited (44 ) $ 199.22 Unvested at October 2, 2021 87 $ 285.73

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	9 Earnings Per Share Basic and diluted EPS calculations are detailed as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Three Months Ended October 2, 2021 Net Income Weighted- Average Shares Per Share (Numerator) (Denominator) Amount Net income per basic common share $ 161,185 61,359 $ 2.63 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 529 (0.03 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 161,185 61,888 $ 2.60 Three Months Ended September 26, 2020 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 126,769 62,002 $ 2.04 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 301 (0.01 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 126,769 62,303 $ 2.03 Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 476,604 61,771 $ 7.72 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 473 (0.06 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 476,604 62,244 $ 7.66 Nine Months Ended September 26, 2020 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 303,260 62,057 $ 4.89 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 314 (0.03 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 303,260 62,371 $ 4.86 For the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, the Company had fewer than one million stock options that were antidilutive due to having higher exercise prices than the Company’s average stock price during the applicable period. These securities were not included in the computation of diluted EPS. The effect of dilutive securities was calculated using the treasury stock method.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Equity [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	10 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are detailed as follows (in thousands): Currency Unrealized Gain Unrealized Gain on Accumulated Other Balance at December 31, 2020 $ (98,082 ) $ (19,861 ) $ — $ (117,943 ) Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 1,256 1,071 2 2,329 Balance at October 2, 2021 $ (96,826 ) $ (18,790 ) $ 2 $ (115,614 )

Retirement Plans

Retirement Plans	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Retirement Plans	11 Retirement Plans The Company sponsors various retirement plans. The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The summary of the components of net periodic pension costs for the plans for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. Service cost $ 198 $ 1,140 $ 197 $ 1,140 Interest cost 141 309 180 353 Expected return on plan assets (248 ) (459 ) (214 ) (476 ) Settlement loss — 102 — — Net amortization: Prior service (credit) cost (5 ) 13 (4 ) (41 ) Net actuarial loss 8 130 — 397 Net periodic pension cost $ 94 $ 1,235 $ 159 $ 1,373 Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. Service cost $ 663 $ 3,447 $ 499 $ 3,334 Interest cost 419 936 533 1,036 Expected return on plan assets (758 ) (1,389 ) (653 ) (1,386 ) Settlement loss — 102 — — Net amortization: Prior service credit (14 ) (67 ) (14 ) (122 ) Net actuarial loss 8 653 — 1,164 Net periodic pension cost $ 318 $ 3,682 $ 365 $ 4,026 During fiscal year 2021, the Company expects to contribute a total of approximately $3 million to $6 million to the Company’s defined benefit plans.

Business Segment Information

Business Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business Segment Information	12 Business Segment Information The Company’s business activities, for which discrete financial information is available, are regularly reviewed and evaluated by the chief operating decision maker. As a result of this evaluation, the Company determined that it has two operating segments: Waters TM TM The Waters operating segment is primarily in the business of designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing LC and MS instruments, columns and other precision chemistry consumables that can be integrated and used along with other analytical instruments. The TA operating segment is primarily in the business of designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing thermal analysis, rheometry and calorimetry instruments. The Company’s two operating segments have similar economic characteristics; product processes; products and services; types and classes of customers; methods of distribution; and regulatory environments. Because of these similarities, the two segments have been aggregated into one reporting segment for financial statement purposes. Please refer to the consolidated financial statements for financial information Net sales for the Company’s products and services are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Product net sales: Waters instrument systems $ 240,475 $ 225,790 $ 717,910 $ 550,018 Chemistry consumables 123,045 108,175 368,478 300,525 TA instrument systems 55,613 42,274 155,722 114,799 Total product sales 419,133 376,239 1,242,110 965,342 Service net sales: Waters service 218,291 199,501 644,625 562,843 TA service 21,809 18,044 62,690 50,522 Total service sales 240,100 217,545 707,315 613,365 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707 Net sales are attributable to geographic areas based on the region of destination. Geographic sales information is presented below for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Net Sales: Asia: China $ 115,886 $ 115,666 $ 346,030 $ 252,713 Japan 44,293 44,779 139,702 131,098 Asia Other 94,423 75,737 268,359 219,660 Total Asia 254,602 236,182 754,091 603,471 Americas: United States 194,776 172,267 544,124 465,093 Americas Other 36,225 27,180 109,128 81,312 Total Americas 231,001 199,447 653,252 546,405 Europe 173,630 158,155 542,082 428,831 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707 Net sales by customer class are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Pharmaceutical $ 398,338 $ 343,001 $ 1,175,191 $ 926,582 Industrial 196,032 179,128 581,884 474,592 Academic and government 64,863 71,655 192,350 177,533 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707 Net sales for the Company recognized at a point in time versus over time are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, September 26, October 2, September 26, Net sales recognized at a point in time: Instrument systems $ 296,088 $ 268,064 $ 873,632 $ 664,817 Chemistry consumables 123,045 108,175 368,478 300,525 Service sales recognized at a point in time (time & materials) 85,093 92,145 253,212 238,754 Total net sales recognized at a point in time 504,226 468,384 1,495,322 1,204,096 Net sales recognized over time: Service and software maintenance sales recognized over time (contracts) 155,007 125,400 454,103 374,611 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707

Recent Accounting Standard Chan

Recent Accounting Standard Changes and Developments	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Standard Changes and Developments	13 Recent Accounting Standard Changes and Developments Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In December 2019, accounting guidance was issued that simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions within the current guidance, including the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The amendment also improves consistent application by clarifying and amending existing guidance related to aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step up in the tax basis of goodwill. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2021. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In January 2020, accounting guidance Recently Issued Accounting Standards In March 2020, accounting guidance was issued that facilitates the effects of reference rate reform reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. In January of 2021, an update was issued to clarify that certain optional expedients and exceptions under the reference rate reform guidance for contract modifications and hedge accounting apply to derivatives that are affected by the discounting transition. Specifically, certain provisions in the reference rate reform guidance, if elected by an entity, apply to derivative instruments that use an interest rate for margining, discounting, or contract price alignment that is modified as a result of reference rate reform. This temporary guidance is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The Company may elect to apply this guidance for all contract modifications or eligible hedging relationships during that time period subject to certain criteria. The Company is still evaluating the impact of reference rate reform and whether this guidance will be adopted.

Basis of Presentation and Sum_2

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Fiscal Period	The Company’s interim fiscal quarter typically ends on the thirteenth Saturday of each quarter. Since the Company’s fiscal year end is December 31, the first and fourth fiscal quarters may have more or less than thirteen complete weeks. The Company’s third fiscal quarters for 2021 and 2020 ended on October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, respectively.
Basis of Accounting	The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions It is management’s opinion that the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (which are normal and recurring) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
Principles of Consolidation	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, which are wholly owned. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions
Risks and Uncertainties	Risks and Uncertainties The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the analytical instrument industry, including, but not limited to, global economic and financial market conditions, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, fluctuations in customer demand, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, costs of developing new technologies, levels of debt and debt service requirements, risk of disruption, dependence on key personnel, protection and litigation of proprietary technology, shifts in taxable income between tax jurisdictions and compliance with regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and similar foreign regulatory authorities and agencies. Both the Company’s domestic and international operations have been and continue to be affected by the ongoing global COVID-19 COVID-19 Through the date of the issuance of these financial statements, the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows have not been materially impacted and, thus, the Company concluded that no goodwill or long-lived asset impairment analyses were required. Further, there have been no violations of debt covenants. Any prolonged material disruption of the Company’s employees, suppliers, manufacturing, or customers could materially impact its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Translation of Foreign Currencies	Translation of Foreign Currencies The functional currency of each of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries is the local currency of its country of domicile, except for the Company’s subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Cayman Islands, where the underlying transactional cash flows are denominated in currencies other than the respective local currency of domicile. The functional currency of the Hong Kong, Singapore and Cayman Islands subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar, based on the respective entity’s cash flows. For the Company’s foreign operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date, while revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the respective period. Any resulting translation gains or losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated balance sheets.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments Cash equivalents represent highly liquid investments, with original maturities of 90 days or less, while investments with longer maturities are classified as investments. The Company maintains cash balances in various operating accounts in excess of federally insured limits, and in foreign subsidiary accounts in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $371 million out of $655 million and $364 million out of $443 million, respectively, of the Company’s total cash, cash equivalents and investments were held by foreign subsidiaries. In addition, $240 million out of $655 million and $254 million out of $443 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments were held in currencies other than the U.S. dollar at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company has very limited use of rebates and other cash considerations payable to customers and, as a result, the transaction price determination does not have any material variable consideration. The Company does not consider there to be significant concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade receivables due to the short-term nature of the balances, the Company having a large and diverse customer base, and the Company having a strong historical experience of collecting receivables with minimal defaults. As a result, credit risk is considered low across territories and trade receivables are considered to be a single class of financial asset. The allowance for credit losses is based on a number of factors and is calculated by applying a historical loss rate to trade receivable aging balances to estimate a general reserve balance along with an additional adjustment for any specific receivables with known or anticipated issues affecting the likelihood of recovery. Past due balances with a probability of default based on historical data as well as relevant available forward-looking information are included in the specific adjustment. The historical loss rate is reviewed on at least an annual basis and the allowance for credit losses is reviewed quarterly for any required adjustments. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers. Trade receivables related to instrument sales are collateralized by the instrument that is sold. If there is a risk of default related to a receivable that is collateralized, then the fair value of the collateral is calculated and adjusted for the cost to re-possess, re-sell The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s allowance for credit losses for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Impact of Additions Deductions Balance at Allowance for Credit Losses October 2, 2021 $ 14,381 $ — $ 3,388 $ (4,107 ) $ 13,662 September 26, 2020 $ 9,560 $ 985 $ 7,826 $ (5,784 ) $ 12,587
Income Taxes	The Company accounts for its uncertain tax return positions in accordance with the accounting standards for income taxes, which require financial statement reporting of the expected future tax consequences of uncertain tax reporting positions on the presumption that all concerned tax authorities possess full knowledge of those tax reporting positions, as well as all of the pertinent facts and circumstances, but prohibit any discounting of unrecognized tax benefits associated with those reporting positions for the time value of money. The Company continues to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the provision for income taxes.
Other Investments	Other Investments During the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, the Company made investments in unaffiliated companies of $1 million and $4 million, respectively. During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company recorded an unrealized gain on an equity security still held at the reporting date of approximately $10 million within other income (expense) on the income statement. This unrealized gain was recorded as an upward price adjustment to the carrying value of the investment due to an observable price change of a similar security issued during the current period. During the nine months ended September 26, 2020, the Company recorded an unrealized loss on an equity security still held at the reporting date of approximately $1 million within other income (expense) on the income statement. This unrealized loss was recorded as a downward price adjustment to the carrying value of the investment due to an observable price change of a similar security issued during the current period.
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements In accordance with the accounting standards for fair value measurements and disclosures, certain of the Company’s assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize observable data, such as quoted prices in active markets. Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize data points other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly. Fair values determined by Level 3 inputs utilize unobservable data points for which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions. The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: U.S. Treasury securities $ 12,043 $ — $ 12,043 $ — Corporate debt securities 83,045 — 83,045 — Time deposits 35,803 — 35,803 — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,587 38,587 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 93 — 93 — Total $ 169,571 $ 38,587 $ 130,984 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,307 $ — $ — $ 1,307 Foreign currency exchange contracts 375 — 375 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 12,322 — 12,322 — Total $ 14,004 $ — $ 12,697 $ 1,307 The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: Time deposits $ 6,451 $ — $ 6,451 $ — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,988 38,988 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 836 — 836 — Total $ 46,275 $ 38,988 $ 7,287 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,185 $ — $ — $ 1,185 Foreign currency exchange contracts 185 — 185 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 44,996 — 44,996 — Total $ 46,366 $ — $ 45,181 $ 1,185 Fair Value of 401(k) Restoration Plan Assets The 401(k) Restoration Plan is a nonqualified defined contribution plan and the assets were held in registered mutual funds and have been classified as Level 1. The fair values of the assets in the plan are determined through market and observable sources from daily quoted prices on nationally recognized securities exchanges. Fair Value of Cash Equivalents, Investments, Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts and Interest Rate Cross-Currency Swap Agreements The fair values of the Company’s cash equivalents, investments, foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements are determined through market and observable sources and have been classified as Level 2. These assets and liabilities have been initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued, typically utilizing third-party pricing services. The pricing services use many inputs to determine value, including reportable trades, benchmark yields, credit spreads, broker/dealer quotes, current spot rates and other industry and economic events. The Company validates the prices provided by third-party pricing services by reviewing their pricing methods and obtaining market values from other pricing sources. Fair Value of Contingent Consideration The fair value of the Company’s liability for contingent consideration relates to earnout payments in connection with the December 2020 acquisition of Integrated Software Solutions (“ISS”) and is determined using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model, which uses significant unobservable inputs, and has been classified as Level 3. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability are recorded in the results of operations. The fair value of the contingent consideration liability associated with future earnout payments is based on several factors, including the achievement of certain revenue and customer account milestones over the two years after the acquisition date and a discount rate that reflects both the likelihood of achieving the estimated future results and the Company’s creditworthiness. A change in any of these unobservable inputs can significantly change the fair value of the contingent consideration. The fair value of future contingent consideration payments related to the December 2020 acquisition of ISS was estimated to be $1 million at both October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments The Company’s accounts receivable and accounts payable are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value due to their short-term nature. The carrying value of the Company’s variable interest rate debt approximates fair value due to the variable nature of the interest rate. The carrying value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was $1.3 billion and $910 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated using discounted cash flow models, based on estimated current rates offered for similar debt under current market conditions for the Company. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated to be $1.3 billion and $963 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, using Level 2 inputs.
Derivative Transactions	Derivative Transactions The Company is a global company that operates in over 35 countries and, as a result, the Company’s net sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and balance sheet amounts are significantly impacted by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company is exposed to currency price risk on foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations when it translates its non-U.S. The Company’s principal strategies in managing exposures to changes in foreign currency exchange rates are to (1) naturally hedge the foreign-currency-denominated liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet against corresponding assets of the same currency, such that any changes in liabilities due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates are typically offset by corresponding changes in assets and (2) mitigate foreign exchange risk exposure of international operations by hedging the variability in the movement of foreign currency exchange rates on a portion of its Euro-denominated net asset investments. The Company presents the derivative transactions in financing activities in the statement of cash flows. Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts The Company does not specifically enter into any derivatives that hedge foreign-currency-denominated operating assets, liabilities or commitments on its balance sheet, other than a portion of certain third-party accounts receivable and accounts payable, and the Company’s net worldwide intercompany receivables and payables, which are eliminated in consolidation. The Company periodically aggregates its net worldwide balances by currency and then enters into foreign currency exchange contracts that mature within 90 days to hedge a portion of the remaining balance to minimize some of the Company’s currency price risk exposure. The foreign currency exchange contracts are not designated for hedge accounting treatment. Principal hedged currencies include the Euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Mexican peso and Brazilian real. Interest Rate Cross-Currency Swap Agreements As of October 2, 2021, the Company had entered The Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements included in the consolidated balance sheets are classified as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Notional Value Fair Value Notional Value Fair Value Foreign currency exchange contracts: Other current assets $ 19,000 $ 93 $ 66,690 $ 836 Other current liabilities $ 46,772 $ 375 $ 20,000 $ 185 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Other liabilities $ 340,000 $ 12,322 $ 560,000 $ 44,996 Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ 20,219 $ 44,996 The following is a summary of the activity included in the consolidated statements of operations and statements of comprehensive income related to the foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements (in thousands): Financial Statement Classification Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, September 26, October 2, September 26, Foreign currency exchange contracts: Realized (losses) gains on closed contracts Cost of sales $ (774 ) $ 1,113 $ 681 $ (45 ) Unrealized (losses) gains on open contracts Cost of sales (933 ) 808 (2,256 ) 1,455 Cumulative net pre-tax Cost of sales $ (1,707 ) $ 1,921 $ (1,575 ) $ 1,410 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Interest earned Interest income $ 2,305 $ 3,777 $ 9,505 $ 11,275 Unrealized gains on open contracts Other comprehensive $ 7,762 $ 19,582 $ 24,777 $ 19,675
Stockholders' Equity	Stockholders’ Equity In January 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $4 billion of its outstanding common stock over a two-year pre-existing
Product Warranty Costs	Product Warranty Costs The Company accrues estimated product warranty costs at the time of sale, which are included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations. While the Company engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of its component suppliers, the Company’s warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, material usage and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. The amount of the accrued warranty liability is based on historical information, such as past experience, product failure rates, number of units repaired and estimated costs of material and labor. The liability is reviewed for reasonableness at least quarterly. The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s accrued warranty liability for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Accruals for Settlements Balance at Accrued warranty liability: October 2, 2021 $ 10,950 $ 6,537 $ (6,991 ) $ 10,496 September 26, 2020 $ 11,964 $ 5,442 $ (7,145 ) $ 10,261
Restructuring	Restructuring In January 2020, the Company made organizational changes to better align its resources with its growth and innovation strategies, resulting in a worldwide workforce reduction, impacting 3% of the Company’s employees. During the three and nine months ended September 26, 2020, the Company incurred $6 million and $27 million of severance-related costs, lease termination costs and other related costs. Restructuring charges incurred during the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 were immaterial.
Stock-Based Compensation	The Company accounts for stock-based compensation costs in accordance with the accounting standards for stock-based compensation, which require that all share-based payments to employees be recognized in the statements of operations, based on their grant date fair values. The Company recognizes the expense using the straight-line attribution method. The stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards that ultimately are expected to vest; therefore, the amount of expense has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience. If actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense and theCompany’s results of operations could be materially impacted. In addition, if the Company employs different assumptions in the application of these standards, the compensation expense that the Company records in the future periods may differ significantly from what the Company has recorded in the current period.
Earnings Per Share	The effect of dilutive securities was calculated using the treasury stock method.
Retirement Plans	The Company sponsors various retirement plans. The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in other expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
New Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In December 2019, accounting guidance was issued that simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions within the current guidance, including the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The amendment also improves consistent application by clarifying and amending existing guidance related to aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step up in the tax basis of goodwill. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2021. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In January 2020, accounting guidance Recently Issued Accounting Standards In March 2020, accounting guidance was issued that facilitates the effects of reference rate reform reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. In January of 2021, an update was issued to clarify that certain optional expedients and exceptions under the reference rate reform guidance for contract modifications and hedge accounting apply to derivatives that are affected by the discounting transition. Specifically, certain provisions in the reference rate reform guidance, if elected by an entity, apply to derivative instruments that use an interest rate for margining, discounting, or contract price alignment that is modified as a result of reference rate reform. This temporary guidance is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The Company may elect to apply this guidance for all contract modifications or eligible hedging relationships during that time period subject to certain criteria. The Company is still evaluating the impact of reference rate reform and whether this guidance will be adopted.
Revenue Recognition	The Company’s deferred revenue liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets consist of the obligation on instrument service contracts and customer payments received in advance, prior to transfer of control of the instrument. The Company records deferred revenue primarily related to its service contracts, where consideration is billable at the beginning of the service period. The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s deferred revenue and customer advances for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Balance at the beginning of the period $ 239,759 $ 213,695 Recognition of revenue included in balance at beginning of the period (197,279 ) (177,667 ) Revenue deferred during the period, net of revenue recognized 264,184 213,895 Balance at the end of the period $ 306,664 $ 249,923 The Company classified $44 million and $42 million of deferred revenue and customer advances in other long-term liabilities at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The amount of deferred revenue and customer advances equals the transaction price allocated to unfulfilled performance obligations for the period presented. Such amounts are expected to be recognized in the future as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized in: One year $ 262,758 13- 24 25,076 25 18,830 Total $ 306,664
Other Items	Other Items During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company executed a settlement agreement to resolve patent infringement litigation with Bruker Corporation and Bruker Daltronik GmbH regarding their timsTOF product line. In connection with the settlement, the Company is entitled to receive $10 million in guaranteed payments, including minimum royalty payments, which was recognized within other income in our consolidated statement of operations. During the nine months ended October 2, 2021, the Company received $3 million in guaranteed payments, net of applicable withholding taxes.

Basis of Presentation and Sum_3

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Activity of Company's Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s allowance for credit losses for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Impact of Additions Deductions Balance at Allowance for Credit Losses October 2, 2021 $ 14,381 $ — $ 3,388 $ (4,107 ) $ 13,662 September 26, 2020 $ 9,560 $ 985 $ 7,826 $ (5,784 ) $ 12,587
Summary of Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: U.S. Treasury securities $ 12,043 $ — $ 12,043 $ — Corporate debt securities 83,045 — 83,045 — Time deposits 35,803 — 35,803 — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,587 38,587 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 93 — 93 — Total $ 169,571 $ 38,587 $ 130,984 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,307 $ — $ — $ 1,307 Foreign currency exchange contracts 375 — 375 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 12,322 — 12,322 — Total $ 14,004 $ — $ 12,697 $ 1,307 The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020 (in thousands): Total at Quoted Prices Significant Significant Assets: Time deposits $ 6,451 $ — $ 6,451 $ — Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets 38,988 38,988 — — Foreign currency exchange contracts 836 — 836 — Total $ 46,275 $ 38,988 $ 7,287 $ — Liabilities: Contingent consideration $ 1,185 $ — $ — $ 1,185 Foreign currency exchange contracts 185 — 185 — Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements 44,996 — 44,996 — Total $ 46,366 $ — $ 45,181 $ 1,185
Summary of Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts and Interest Rate Cross-Currency Swap Agreements	The Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements included in the consolidated balance sheets are classified as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Notional Value Fair Value Notional Value Fair Value Foreign currency exchange contracts: Other current assets $ 19,000 $ 93 $ 66,690 $ 836 Other current liabilities $ 46,772 $ 375 $ 20,000 $ 185 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Other liabilities $ 340,000 $ 12,322 $ 560,000 $ 44,996 Accumulated other comprehensive loss $ 20,219 $ 44,996
Gains (Losses) on Foreign Exchange Contracts	The following is a summary of the activity included in the consolidated statements of operations and statements of comprehensive income related to the foreign currency exchange contracts and interest rate cross-currency swap agreements (in thousands): Financial Statement Classification Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, September 26, October 2, September 26, Foreign currency exchange contracts: Realized (losses) gains on closed contracts Cost of sales $ (774 ) $ 1,113 $ 681 $ (45 ) Unrealized (losses) gains on open contracts Cost of sales (933 ) 808 (2,256 ) 1,455 Cumulative net pre-tax Cost of sales $ (1,707 ) $ 1,921 $ (1,575 ) $ 1,410 Interest rate cross-currency swap agreements: Interest earned Interest income $ 2,305 $ 3,777 $ 9,505 $ 11,275 Unrealized gains on open contracts Other comprehensive $ 7,762 $ 19,582 $ 24,777 $ 19,675
Summary of Activity of Company's Accrued Warranty Liability	The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s accrued warranty liability for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Balance at Accruals for Settlements Balance at Accrued warranty liability: October 2, 2021 $ 10,950 $ 6,537 $ (6,991 ) $ 10,496 September 26, 2020 $ 11,964 $ 5,442 $ (7,145 ) $ 10,261

Revenue Recognition (Tables)

Revenue Recognition (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Summary of Activity of Deferred Revenue and Customer Advances	The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s deferred revenue and customer advances for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Balance at the beginning of the period $ 239,759 $ 213,695 Recognition of revenue included in balance at beginning of the period (197,279 ) (177,667 ) Revenue deferred during the period, net of revenue recognized 264,184 213,895 Balance at the end of the period $ 306,664 $ 249,923
Schedule of Amount of Deferred Revenue and Customer Advances	The amount of deferred revenue and customer advances equals the transaction price allocated to unfulfilled performance obligations for the period presented. Such amounts are expected to be recognized in the future as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized in: One year $ 262,758 13- 24 25,076 25 18,830 Total $ 306,664

Marketable Securities (Tables)

Marketable Securities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Schedule of Available-for-Sale Securities Reconciliation	The Company’s marketable securities within cash equivalents and investments included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Fair Value U.S. Treasury securities $ 12,040 $ 3 $ — $ 12,043 Corporate debt securities 83,045 8 (8 ) 83,045 Time deposits 35,803 — — 35,803 Total $ 130,888 $ 11 $ (8 ) $ 130,891 Amounts included in: Cash equivalents $ 401 $ — $ — $ 401 Investments 130,487 11 (8 ) 130,490 Total $ 130,888 $ 11 $ (8 ) $ 130,891 December 31, 2020 Amortized Unrealized Unrealized Fair Time deposits 6,451 — — 6,451 Total $ 6,451 $ — $ — $ 6,451 Amounts included in: Investments 6,451 — — 6,451 Total $ 6,451 $ — $ — $ 6,451
Investments Classified By Contractual Maturity Date	The estimated fair value of marketable debt securities by maturity date is as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Due in one year or less $ 128,149 $ 6,451 Due after one year through three years 2,742 — Total $ 130,891 $ 6,451

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory, Net of Reserves	Inventories are classified as follows (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Raw materials $ 158,529 $ 133,490 Work in progress 25,296 18,678 Finished goods 204,931 152,113 Total inventories $ 388,756 $ 304,281

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

Goodwill and Other Intangibles (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Intangible Assets	The Company’s intangible assets included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (dollars in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Gross Accumulated Weighted- Gross Accumulated Weighted- Capitalized software $ 576,988 $ 419,736 5 years $ 584,452 $ 409,847 5 years Purchased intangibles 202,094 162,895 11 years 205,585 160,342 11 years Trademarks 9,680 — — 9,680 — — Licenses 12,616 5,944 7 years 5,923 5,697 6 years Patents and other intangibles 99,906 66,629 8 years 90,699 61,808 8 years Total $ 901,284 $ 655,204 7 years $ 896,339 $ 637,694 7 years

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Senior Unsecured Notes Issued	In March 2021, the Company issued the following senior unsecured notes: Senior Unsecured Notes Term Interest Rate Face Value Maturity Date Series N 5 years 1.68 % $ 100 March Series O 10 years 2.25 % $ 400 March
Summary of Outstanding Debt	The Company had the following outstanding debt at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 December 31, 2020 Senior unsecured notes—Series E—3.97%, due March 2021 — 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series F—3.40%, due June 2021 — 100,000 Total notes payable and debt, current — 150,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series G—3.92%, due June 2024 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series H—floating rate*, due June 2024 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series I — 50,000 50,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series K—3.44%, due May 2026 160,000 160,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series L—3.31%, due September 2026 200,000 200,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series M—3.53%, due September 2029 300,000 300,000 Senior unsecured notes—Series N—1.68%, due March 2026 100,000 — Senior unsecured notes—Series O—2.25%, due March 2031 400,000 — Credit agreement 310,000 400,000 Unamortized debt issuance costs (6,382 ) (3,485 ) Total long-term debt 1,613,618 1,206,515 Total debt $ 1,613,618 $ 1,356,515 * Series H senior unsecured notes bear interest at a 3-month

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Balance at the beginning of the period $ 28,666 $ 27,790 Net reductions for settlement of tax audits (878 ) — Net reductions for lapse of statutes taken during the period (292 ) (427 ) Net additions for tax positions taken during the current period 966 907 Balance at the end of the period $ 28,462 $ 28,270

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Stock-Based Compensation Expense	The consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 include the following stock-based compensation expense related to stock option awards, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance stock unit awards and the employee stock purchase plan (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Cost of sales $ 468 $ 645 $ 1,828 $ 1,850 Selling and administrative expenses 4,116 7,747 15,810 22,472 Research and development expenses 1,769 1,201 4,311 3,393 Total stock-based compensation $ 6,353 $ 9,593 $ 21,949 $ 27,715
Relevant Data Used to Determine the Value of Stock Options Granted During the Period	The relevant data used to determine the value of the stock options granted during the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 are as follows: Nine Months Ended Options Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate Option Fair Values October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Options issued in thousands 160 267 Risk-free interest rate 0.8 % 1.2 % Expected life in years 6 6 Expected volatility 32.4 % 27.8 % Expected dividends — —
Stock Options Outstanding Roll Forward	Nine Months Ended Weighted-Average Exercise Price and Fair Value of Options on the Date of Grant October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Exercise price $ 281.23 $ 215.12 Fair value $ 91.46 $ 62.93
Stock Options Outstanding by Exercise Price Range	The following table summarizes stock option activity for the plans for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Number of Shares Exercise Price per Share Weighted-Average Outstanding at December 31, 2020 1,067 $ 75.94 to $ $ 179.59 Granted 160 $ 250.15 to $ $ 281.23 Exercised (275 ) $ 99.22 to $ $ 167.89 Canceled (251 ) $ 139.51 to $ $ 197.05 Outstanding at October 2, 2021 701 $ 75.94 to $ $ 200.84
Restricted Stock Units Unvested Roll Forward	The following table summarizes the unvested restricted stock unit award activity for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Shares Weighted-Average Unvested at December 31, 2020 271 $ 202.00 Granted 88 $ 283.10 Vested (86 ) $ 183.94 Forfeited (22 ) $ 221.64 Unvested at October 2, 2021 251 $ 234.90
Relevant Data Used to Determine the Value of Performance Shares	The relevant data used to determine the value of the performance stock units granted during the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 are as follows: Nine Months Ended Performance Stock Units Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 Performance stock units issued (in thousands) 41 58 Risk-free interest rate 0.2 % 1.3 % Expected life in years 2.9 2.9 Expected volatility 38.7 % 25.1 % Average volatility of peer companies 34.7 % 26.1 % Correlation coefficient 45.8 % 36.6 % Expected dividends — —
Performance Stock Units Unvested Roll Forward	The following table summarizes the unvested performance stock unit award activity for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): Shares Weighted-Average Unvested at December 31, 2020 95 $ 230.36 Granted 41 $ 315.98 Vested (5 ) $ 242.94 Forfeited (44 ) $ 199.22 Unvested at October 2, 2021 87 $ 285.73

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share Reconciliation	Basic and diluted EPS calculations are detailed as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Three Months Ended October 2, 2021 Net Income Weighted- Average Shares Per Share (Numerator) (Denominator) Amount Net income per basic common share $ 161,185 61,359 $ 2.63 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 529 (0.03 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 161,185 61,888 $ 2.60 Three Months Ended September 26, 2020 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 126,769 62,002 $ 2.04 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 301 (0.01 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 126,769 62,303 $ 2.03 Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 476,604 61,771 $ 7.72 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 473 (0.06 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 476,604 62,244 $ 7.66 Nine Months Ended September 26, 2020 Net Income Weighted- Per Share Net income per basic common share $ 303,260 62,057 $ 4.89 Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities — 314 (0.03 ) Net income per diluted common share $ 303,260 62,371 $ 4.86

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are detailed as follows (in thousands): Currency Unrealized Gain Unrealized Gain on Accumulated Other Balance at December 31, 2020 $ (98,082 ) $ (19,861 ) $ — $ (117,943 ) Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 1,256 1,071 2 2,329 Balance at October 2, 2021 $ (96,826 ) $ (18,790 ) $ 2 $ (115,614 )

Retirement Plans (Tables)

Retirement Plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	The summary of the components of net periodic pension costs for the plans for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. Service cost $ 198 $ 1,140 $ 197 $ 1,140 Interest cost 141 309 180 353 Expected return on plan assets (248 ) (459 ) (214 ) (476 ) Settlement loss — 102 — — Net amortization: Prior service (credit) cost (5 ) 13 (4 ) (41 ) Net actuarial loss 8 130 — 397 Net periodic pension cost $ 94 $ 1,235 $ 159 $ 1,373 Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. U.S. Retiree Non-U.S. Service cost $ 663 $ 3,447 $ 499 $ 3,334 Interest cost 419 936 533 1,036 Expected return on plan assets (758 ) (1,389 ) (653 ) (1,386 ) Settlement loss — 102 — — Net amortization: Prior service credit (14 ) (67 ) (14 ) (122 ) Net actuarial loss 8 653 — 1,164 Net periodic pension cost $ 318 $ 3,682 $ 365 $ 4,026

Business Segment Information (T

Business Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary of Net Sales for Company's Products and Services	Net sales for the Company’s products and services are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Product net sales: Waters instrument systems $ 240,475 $ 225,790 $ 717,910 $ 550,018 Chemistry consumables 123,045 108,175 368,478 300,525 TA instrument systems 55,613 42,274 155,722 114,799 Total product sales 419,133 376,239 1,242,110 965,342 Service net sales: Waters service 218,291 199,501 644,625 562,843 TA service 21,809 18,044 62,690 50,522 Total service sales 240,100 217,545 707,315 613,365 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707
Summary of Geographic Sales Information	Net sales are attributable to geographic areas based on the region of destination. Geographic sales information is presented below for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Net Sales: Asia: China $ 115,886 $ 115,666 $ 346,030 $ 252,713 Japan 44,293 44,779 139,702 131,098 Asia Other 94,423 75,737 268,359 219,660 Total Asia 254,602 236,182 754,091 603,471 Americas: United States 194,776 172,267 544,124 465,093 Americas Other 36,225 27,180 109,128 81,312 Total Americas 231,001 199,447 653,252 546,405 Europe 173,630 158,155 542,082 428,831 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707
Summary of Net Sales by Customer Class	Net sales by customer class are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, 2021 September 26, October 2, 2021 September 26, Pharmaceutical $ 398,338 $ 343,001 $ 1,175,191 $ 926,582 Industrial 196,032 179,128 581,884 474,592 Academic and government 64,863 71,655 192,350 177,533 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707
Summary of Net Sales of Company Recognized at a Point in Time Versus Over Time	Net sales for the Company recognized at a point in time versus over time are as follows for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 2, September 26, October 2, September 26, Net sales recognized at a point in time: Instrument systems $ 296,088 $ 268,064 $ 873,632 $ 664,817 Chemistry consumables 123,045 108,175 368,478 300,525 Service sales recognized at a point in time (time & materials) 85,093 92,145 253,212 238,754 Total net sales recognized at a point in time 504,226 468,384 1,495,322 1,204,096 Net sales recognized over time: Service and software maintenance sales recognized over time (contracts) 155,007 125,400 454,103 374,611 Total net sales $ 659,233 $ 593,784 $ 1,949,425 $ 1,578,707

Basis of Presentation and Sum_4

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) shares in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Jan. 31, 2019
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash equivalents description				Cash equivalents represent highly liquid investments, with original maturities of 90 days or less, while investments with longer maturities are classified as investments.
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		$ 655,000,000		$ 655,000,000		$ 443,000,000
Investments in unaffiliated companies				1,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Contingent consideration		1,307,000		1,307,000		1,185,000
Long-term debt		1,613,618,000		$ 1,613,618,000		1,206,515,000
Foreign currency exposure				The Company is a global company that operates in over 35 countries and, as a result, the Company’s net sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and balance sheet amounts are significantly impacted by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Maturity period of foreign exchange contracts				The Company periodically aggregates its net worldwide balances by currency and then enters into foreign currency exchange contracts that mature within 90 days to hedge a portion of the remaining balance to minimize some of the Company’s currency price risk exposure. The foreign currency exchange contracts are not designated for hedge accounting treatment.
Treasury stock		146,051,000	$ 56,000	$ 492,695,000	176,352,000
Unrealized gain on an equity security				10,000,000
Unrealized loss on an equity security					$ 1,000,000
Settled Litigation [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Proceeds from guarnteed payments,net of tax		3,000,000		3,000,000
Other Income [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Guaranteed payments received		10,000,000		10,000,000
Employee Severance [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Employees Increase (Decrease), Percentage	3.00%
Severance Lease, Termination and Other Related Costs [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restructuring and related cost, incurred		6,000,000		$ 27,000,000
Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Term of derivative agreement				3 years
Notional value, derivative asset		340,000,000		$ 340,000,000		340,000,000
Programs Authorized by Board of Directors [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Treasury stock shares acquired				1.5	0.8
Treasury stock				$ 484,000,000	$ 167,000,000,000
Related to Vesting of Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Treasury stock				$ 9,000,000	$ 10,000,000
January 2019 Program [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program authorization amount								$ 4,000,000,000
Stock repurchase program period				2 years
Treasury stock shares acquired				12.7
Treasury stock				$ 3,000,000,000
Stock repurchase program remaining amount authorized for future purchases		1,000,000,000		1,000,000,000
Treasury Stock [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accrued treasury stock repurchases		0		0		0	$ 20,000,000
Held In Currencies Other Than Us Dollars [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		240,000,000		240,000,000		254,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Long-term debt		1,300,000,000		1,300,000,000		1,000,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] | Fixed Interest Rate [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Long-term debt		1,300,000,000		1,300,000,000		910,000,000
Fair value of fixed interest rate debt		1,300,000,000		1,300,000,000		963,000,000
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Contingent consideration		1,307,000		1,307,000		1,185,000
Held By Foreign Subsidiaries [Member]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		$ 371,000,000		$ 371,000,000		$ 364,000,000

Basis of Presentation and Sum_5

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Roll Forward (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 14,381	$ 9,560
Impact of CECL Adoption		985
Additions	3,388	7,826
Deductions	(4,107)	(5,784)
Ending balance	$ 13,662	$ 12,587

Basis of Presentation and Sum_6

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	$ 130,891	$ 6,451
Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets	38,587	38,988
Total	169,571	46,275
Contingent consideration	1,307	1,185
Total	14,004	46,366
Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	93	836
Foreign currency exchange contracts	375	185
Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign currency exchange contracts	12,322	44,996
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	12,043
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	83,045
Time Deposits [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	35,803	6,451
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets	38,587	38,988
Total	38,587	38,988
Contingent consideration	0
Total	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	0
Foreign currency exchange contracts	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign currency exchange contracts	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Time Deposits [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets	0
Total	130,984	7,287
Contingent consideration	0
Total	12,697	45,181
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	93	836
Foreign currency exchange contracts	375	185
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign currency exchange contracts	12,322	44,996
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	12,043
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	83,045
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Time Deposits [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	35,803	6,451
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Waters 401(k) Restoration Plan assets	0
Total	0
Contingent consideration	1,307	1,185
Total	1,307	$ 1,185
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	0
Foreign currency exchange contracts	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign currency exchange contracts	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Time Deposits [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available for sale securities	$ 0

Basis of Presentation and Sum_7

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Fair Value of Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts (Detail) - USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	$ 93,000	$ 836,000
Fair value, derivative liability	375,000	185,000
Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Notional value, derivative asset	340,000,000	340,000,000
Fair value, derivative liability	12,322,000	44,996,000
Other Current Assets [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Notional value, derivative asset	19,000,000	66,690,000
Fair value, derivative asset	93,000	836,000
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Notional value, derivative liability	46,772,000	20,000,000
Fair value, derivative liability	375,000	185,000
Other Assets [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Notional value, derivative asset	340,000,000	560,000,000
Fair value, derivative asset	12,322,000	44,996,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Income) [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, derivative asset	$ 20,219,000	$ 44,996,000

Basis of Presentation and Sum_8

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Gains (Losses) on Foreign Exchange Contracts (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Cost of Sales [Member] | Foreign Currency Exchange Contract [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Realized (losses) gains on closed contracts	$ (774)	$ 1,113	$ 681	$ (45)
Unrealized (losses) gains on open contracts	(933)	808	(2,256)	1,455
Cumulative net pre-tax (losses) gains	(1,707)	1,921	(1,575)	1,410
Interest Income [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Interest earned	2,305	3,777	9,505	11,275
Other comprehensive income [Member] | Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized (losses) gains on open contracts	$ 7,762	$ 19,582	$ 24,777	$ 19,675

Basis of Presentation and Sum_9

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Summary of Activity of Company's Accrued Warranty Liability (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 10,950	$ 11,964
Accruals for Warranties	6,537	5,442
Settlements Made	(6,991)	(7,145)
Balance at End of Period	$ 10,496	$ 10,261

Revenue Recognition - Additiona

Revenue Recognition - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Other Long-Term Liabilities [Member]
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances	$ 44	$ 42

Revenue Recognition - Summary o

Revenue Recognition - Summary of Activity of the Company's Deferred Revenue and Customer Advances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue [Abstract]
Balance at the beginning of the period	$ 239,759	$ 213,695
Recognition of revenue included in balance at beginning of the period	(197,279)	(177,667)
Revenue deferred during the period, net of revenue recognized	264,184	213,895
Balance at the end of the period	$ 306,664	$ 249,923

Revenue Recognition - Schedule

Revenue Recognition - Schedule of Estimated Amount of Deferred Revenue and Customer Advances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 262,758	$ 198,240
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	306,664
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2020-01-01
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 262,758
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period	0 years
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2021-01-01
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 25,076
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2022-01-01
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Deferred revenue and customer advances expected to be recognized	$ 18,830
Deferred revenue and customer advances recognition period	2 years

Marketable Securities - Schedul

Marketable Securities - Schedule of Available-for-Sale Securities Reconciliation (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 130,888	$ 6,451
Unrealized Gain	11
Unrealized Loss	(8)
Fair Value	130,891	6,451
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	12,040
Unrealized Gain	3
Fair Value	12,043
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	83,045
Unrealized Gain	8
Unrealized Loss	(8)
Fair Value	83,045
Time Deposits [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	35,803	6,451
Fair Value	35,803	6,451
Cash Equivalents [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	401
Unrealized Gain	0
Unrealized Loss	0
Fair Value	401
Short-term Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	130,487	6,451
Unrealized Gain	11
Unrealized Loss	(8)
Fair Value	$ 130,490	$ 6,451

Marketable Securities - Investm

Marketable Securities - Investments Classified By Contractual Maturity Date (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, Fair Value [Abstract]
Due in one year or less	$ 128,149	$ 6,451
Due after one year through three years	2,742
Total	$ 130,891	$ 6,451

Inventories - Inventory, Net of

Inventories - Inventory, Net of Reserves (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Inventory, Net, Items Net of Reserve Alternative [Abstract]
Raw materials	$ 158,529	$ 133,490
Work in progress	25,296	18,678
Finished goods	204,931	152,113
Total inventories	$ 388,756	$ 304,281

Goodwill and Other Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangibles - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Finite Lived And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 436,754		$ 436,754		$ 444,362
Goodwill foreign currency translation adjustments			7,000
Intangible assets, gross foreign currency translation adjustments			(36,000)
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization foreign currency translation adjustments			(27,000)
Amortization expense	15,000	$ 15,000	45,000	$ 42,000
Future amortization expense, year 1	62,000		62,000
Future amortization expense, year 2	62,000		62,000
Future amortization expense, year 3	62,000		62,000
Future amortization expense, year 4	62,000		62,000
Future amortization expense, year 5	$ 62,000		62,000
Licensing Agreements [Member] | Select Series MRT [Member]
Finite Lived And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets			$ 7,000

Goodwill and Other Intangible_3

Goodwill and Other Intangibles - Schedule of Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 901,284	$ 896,339
Accumulated Amortization	$ 655,204	$ 637,694
Weighted-Average Amortization Period	7 years	7 years
Trademarks [Member]
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 9,680	$ 9,680
Software Development [Member]
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	576,988	584,452
Accumulated Amortization	$ 419,736	$ 409,847
Weighted-Average Amortization Period	5 years	5 years
Purchased Intangibles [Member]
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 202,094	$ 205,585
Accumulated Amortization	$ 162,895	$ 160,342
Weighted-Average Amortization Period	11 years	11 years
Licensing Agreements [Member]
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 12,616	$ 5,923
Accumulated Amortization	$ 5,944	$ 5,697
Weighted-Average Amortization Period	7 years	6 years
Patents and Other Intangibles [Member]
Finite Lived and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 99,906	$ 90,699
Accumulated Amortization	$ 66,629	$ 61,808
Weighted-Average Amortization Period	8 years	8 years

Debt - Additional Information (

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 17, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt facility fee		The interest rates applicable to the 2021 Credit Agreement are, at the Company’s option, equal to either the alternate base rate (which is a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (1) the prime rate in effect on such day, (2) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Rate on such day plus 1/2 of 1% per annum and (3) the adjusted LIBO rate on such day (or if such day is not a business day, the immediately preceding business day) for a deposit in U.S. dollars with a maturity of one month plus 1% per annum) or the applicable 1, 3 or 6 month adjusted LIBO rate or EURIBO rate for Euro-denominated loans, in each case, plus an interest rate margin based upon the Company’s leverage ratio, which can range between 0 and 12.5 basis points for alternate base rate loans and between 80 and 112.5 basis points for LIBO rate or EURIBO rate loans. The facility fee on the 2021 Credit Agreement ranges between 7.5 and 25 basis points per annum, based on the leverage ratio, of the amount of the revolving facility commitments and the outstanding term loan.
Long-term debt	$ 1,613,618,000	$ 1,613,618,000		$ 1,206,515,000
Call feature on debt instrument		In the event of a change in control (as defined in the note purchase agreement) of the Company, the Company may be required to prepay the Senior Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
Line of credit maximum borrowing capacity	122,000,000	$ 122,000,000		109,000,000
Cross Currency Interest Rate Contract [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notional value, derivative asset	340,000,000	$ 340,000,000		340,000,000
Derivative instrument, term		3 years
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate terms on debt		The interest rates applicable to the 2021 Credit Agreement are, at the Company’s option, equal to either the alternate base rate (which is a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (1) the prime rate in effect on such day, (2) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Rate on such day plus 1/2 of 1% per annum and (3) the adjusted LIBO rate on such day (or if such day is not a business day, the immediately preceding business day) for a deposit in U.S. dollars with a maturity of one month plus 1% per annum) or the applicable 1, 3 or 6 month adjusted LIBO rate or EURIBO rate for Euro-denominated loans, in each case, plus an interest rate margin based upon the Company’s leverage ratio, which can range between 0 and 12.5 basis points for alternate base rate loans and between 80 and 112.5 basis points for LIBO rate or EURIBO rate loans. The facility fee on the 2021 Credit Agreement ranges between 7.5 and 25 basis points per annum, based on the leverage ratio, of the amount of the revolving facility commitments and the outstanding term loan.
Debt covenant description		The 2021 Credit Agreement requires that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, the 2021 Credit Agreement includes negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default that are customary for investment grade credit facilities.
Unused borrowing capacity	1,500,000,000	$ 1,500,000,000		1,400,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt covenant description		These senior unsecured notes require that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, these senior unsecured notes include customary negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default.
Long-term debt	$ 1,300,000,000	$ 1,300,000,000		$ 1,000,000,000
Debt instrument percentage of the amount to be prepaid	10.00%	10.00%
Debt instrument interest coverage ratio		3.50%
Debt instrument leverage ratio	3.50%	3.50%
Credit Agreements and Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate	2.67%	2.67%		2.92%
Revolving Facilities [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face value of debt			$ 1,800,000,000
Term Loan Facility [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member] | 2017 Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face value of debt			$ 300,000,000
Senior Unsecured Notes [Member] | Prepayment Not Less Than Twenty Days But No More Than Sixty Days [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of prepayemnt of aggregate principal amount of the secured senior notes		10.00%
Revolving Facility And Term Loan [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member] | 2017 Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt gross	$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000		$ 300,000,000
2021 Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt gross	$ 310,000,000	$ 310,000,000
Debt instrument maturity date	Sep. 17, 2026

Debt - Summary of Senior Unsecu

Debt - Summary of Senior Unsecured Notes Issued (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Series N [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term	5 years
Interest Rate	1.68%	1.68%
Face Value	$ 100
Maturity Date	Mar. 31, 2026
Series O [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term	10 years
Interest Rate	2.25%	2.25%
Face Value	$ 400
Maturity Date	Mar. 31, 2031

Debt - Summary of Outstanding D

Debt - Summary of Outstanding Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable and debt, current		$ 0	$ 150,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs		(6,382)	(3,485)
Total long-term debt		1,613,618	1,206,515
Total debt		1,613,618	1,356,515
Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		310,000	400,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series E [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable and debt, current			50,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series F [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total notes payable and debt, current		0	100,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series G [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		50,000	50,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series H [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	[1]	50,000	50,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series I [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		50,000	50,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series K [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		160,000	160,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series L [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		200,000	200,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series M [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		300,000	$ 300,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series N [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		100,000
Senior Unsecured Notes Series O [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 400,000
[1]	Series H senior unsecured notes bear interest at a 3-month LIBOR for that floating rate interest period plus 1.25%.

Debt - Summary of Outstanding_2

Debt - Summary of Outstanding Debt (Parenthetical) (Detail)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Senior Unsecured Notes Series E [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.97%	3.97%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series F [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.40%	3.40%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series G [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.92%	3.92%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series H [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate margin	1.25%	1.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series I [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.13%	3.13%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series K [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.44%	3.44%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series L [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.31%	3.31%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series M [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	3.53%	3.53%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series N [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	1.68%	1.68%
Senior Unsecured Notes Series O [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	2.25%	2.25%

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax holiday amount			$ 13	$ 12
Income tax holiday per share benefit			$ 0.20	$ 0.20
Effective income tax rate	11.80%	15.70%	14.00%	14.30%
Increase (Decrease) in effective tax rate percentage points			1.80%	0.90%
Effect of stock-based compensation			$ 6	$ 3
Effective tax rate reconciliation restructuring charges				$ 6
Effective tax rate reconciliation restructuring charges, percentage			1.10%
Maximum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Expected change in unrecognized tax benefits in the next twelve months	$ 18		$ 18
United States [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Statutory tax rate			21.00%
Ireland [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Statutory tax rate			12.50%
U.K [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Statutory tax rate			19.00%
Singapore [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Statutory tax rate			17.00%
Singapore [Member] | April Two Thousand And Twenty One To March Two Thousand And Twenty Six [Member] | New Contractual Arrangement [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Statutory tax rate			5.00%
Singapore [Member] | Contractual Tax Rate Singapore [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Marginal effective income tax rate			0.00%

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Balance at the beginning of the period	$ 28,666	$ 27,790
Net reductions for settlement of tax audits	(878)	0
Net reductions for lapse of statutes taken during the period	(292)	(427)
Net additions for tax positions taken during the current period	966	907
Balance at the end of the period	$ 28,462	$ 28,270

Stock-Based Compensation - Addi

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) shares in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021$ / sharesshares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years
Number of shares available for grant | shares	6.7
Performance Stock Unit Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted-average grant date fair value of shares granted	$ 315.98
Performance Stock Unit Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting rights	0.00%
Performance Stock Unit Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting rights	200.00%
Restricted Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted-average grant date fair value of shares granted	$ 254.51
Equity Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years
Award expiration period	10 years

Stock-Based Compensation - Sche

Stock-Based Compensation - Schedule of Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 6,353	$ 9,593	$ 21,949	$ 27,715
Cost of Sales [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	468	645	1,828	1,850
Selling and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	4,116	7,747	15,810	22,472
Research and Development Expenses [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Total stock-based compensation	$ 1,769	$ 1,201	$ 4,311	$ 3,393

Stock-Based Compensation - Rele

Stock-Based Compensation - Relevant Data Used to Determine the Value of Stock Options Granted During the Period (Detail) - Equity Option [Member] - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Options Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate Option Fair Values
Options issued	160	267
Fair value assumptions, risk free interest rate	0.80%	1.20%
Fair value assumptions, expected life in years	6 years	6 years
Fair value assumptions, expected volatility	32.40%	27.80%
Fair value assumptions, expected dividends	$ 0
Weighted-Average Exercise Price and Fair Value of Options on the Date of Grant
Weighted-average exercise price of options granted	$ 281.23	$ 215.12
Weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted	$ 91.46	$ 62.93

Stock-Based Compensation - Stoc

Stock-Based Compensation - Stock Options Outstanding Roll Forward (Detail) - Equity Option [Member] - $ / shares shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding at December 31, 2020	1,067
Granted	160	267
Exercised	(275)
Canceled	(251)
Outstanding at October 2, 2021	701
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at beginning of period	$ 179.59
Weighted-average exercise price of options granted	281.23	$ 215.12
Weighted-average exercise price of options exercised	167.89
Weighted average exercise price of options canceled	197.05
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at end of period	200.84
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at beginning of period	75.94
Weighted-average exercise price of options granted	250.15
Weighted-average exercise price of options exercised	99.22
Weighted average exercise price of options canceled	139.51
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at end of period	75.94
Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at beginning of period	238.52
Weighted-average exercise price of options granted	371.64
Weighted-average exercise price of options exercised	238.52
Weighted average exercise price of options canceled	280.80
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding at end of period	$ 371.64

Stock-Based Compensation - Rest

Stock-Based Compensation - Restricted Stock Units Unvested Roll Forward (Detail) - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021$ / sharesshares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested Beginning balance, Shares | shares	271
Shares, Granted | shares	88
Shares, Vested | shares	(86)
Shares, Forfeited | shares	(22)
Unvested Ending balance, Shares | shares	251
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares unvested at beginning of period | $ / shares	$ 202
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares granted | $ / shares	283.10
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares vested | $ / shares	183.94
Weighted-average grant date fair value of shares forfeited | $ / shares	221.64
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares unvested at end of period | $ / shares	$ 234.90

Stock-Based Compensation - Re_2

Stock-Based Compensation - Relevant Data Used to Determine the Value of Performance Shares (Detail) - Performance Stock Unit Plan [Member] - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Performance Stock Units Issued and Significant Assumptions Used to Estimate Fair Values
Shares granted	41	58
Fair value assumptions, risk free interest rate	0.20%	1.30%
Fair value assumptions, expected life in years	2 years 10 months 24 days	2 years 10 months 24 days
Fair value assumptions, expected volatility	38.70%	25.10%
Fair value assumptions, expected volatility of peer companies	34.70%	26.10%
Fair value assumptions, correlation coefficient	45.80%	36.60%
Fair value assumptions, expected dividends	$ 0

Stock-Based Compensation - Perf

Stock-Based Compensation - Performance Stock Units Unvested Roll Forward (Detail) - Performance Stock Unit Plan [Member] - $ / shares shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unvested Beginning balance, Shares	95
Shares Granted	41	58
Shares Vested	(5)
Shares Forfeited	(44)
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares unvested at end of period	$ 285.73
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares unvested at beginning of period	230.36
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares granted	315.98
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares vested	242.94
Weighted-average grant date fair value per share of shares forfeited	$ 199.22
Unvested Ending balance, Shares	87

Earnings Per Share - Earnings P

Earnings Per Share - Earnings Per Share Reconciliation (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income per basic common share, Net Income (Numerator)	$ 161,185	$ 126,769	$ 476,604	$ 303,260
Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities, Net Income (Numerator)	0		0	0
Net income per diluted common share, Net Income (Numerator)	$ 161,185	$ 126,769	$ 476,604	$ 303,260
Net income per basic common share, Weighted-Average Shares (Denominator)	61,359	62,002	61,771	62,057
Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities, Weighted-Average Shares (Denominator)	529	301	473	314
Net income per diluted common share, Weighted-Average Shares (Denominator)	61,888	62,303	62,244	62,371
Net income per basic common share, Per Share Amount	$ 2.63	$ 2.04	$ 7.72	$ 4.89
Effect of dilutive stock option, restricted stock, performance stock unit and restricted stock unit securities, Per Share Amount	(0.03)	(0.01)	(0.06)	(0.03)
Net income per diluted common share, Per Share Amount	$ 2.60	$ 2.03	$ 7.66	$ 4.86

Earnings Per Share - Additional

Earnings Per Share - Additional Information (Detail) - shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income - Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ 268,273	$ (191,742)	$ 232,144	$ (216,281)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(4,435)	214	2,329	(7,205)
Ending balance	295,222	$ (41,581)	295,222	$ (41,581)
Currency Translation [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance			(98,082)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax			1,256
Ending balance	(96,826)		(96,826)
Unrealized Loss on Retirement Plans [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance			(19,861)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax			1,071
Ending balance	(18,790)		(18,790)
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance			0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax			2
Ending balance	2		2
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning balance			(117,943)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax			2,329
Ending balance	$ (115,614)		$ (115,614)

Retirement Plans - Additional I

Retirement Plans - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	Oct. 02, 2021USD ($)
Minimum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contributions in current fiscal year	$ 3
Maximum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contributions in current fiscal year	$ 6

Retirement Plans - Defined Bene

Retirement Plans - Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
United States [Member] | Retiree Healthcare Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$ 198	$ 197	$ 663	$ 499
Interest cost	141	180	419	533
Expected return on plan assets	(248)	(214)	(758)	(653)
Settlement loss	0	0	0	0
Net amortization: Prior service credit	(5)	(4)	(14)	(14)
Net amortization: Net actuarial loss	8		8
Net periodic pension cost	94	159	318	365
Non-U.S. Pension Plans [Member] | Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	1,140	1,140	3,447	3,334
Interest cost	309	353	936	1,036
Expected return on plan assets	(459)	(476)	(1,389)	(1,386)
Settlement loss	102	0	102	0
Net amortization: Prior service credit	13	(41)	(67)	(122)
Net amortization: Net actuarial loss	130	397	653	1,164
Net periodic pension cost	$ 1,235	$ 1,373	$ 3,682	$ 4,026

Business Segment Information -

Business Segment Information - Additional Information (Detail)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	2
Number of reportable segments	1

Business Segment Information _2

Business Segment Information - Summary of Net Sales for Company's Products and Services (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 659,233	$ 593,784	$ 1,949,425	$ 1,578,707
Waters Instrument Systems [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	240,475	225,790	717,910	550,018
Chemistry Consumables [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	123,045	108,175	368,478	300,525
TA Instrument Systems [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	55,613	42,274	155,722	114,799
Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	419,133	376,239	1,242,110	965,342
Waters Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	218,291	199,501	644,625	562,843
TA Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	21,809	18,044	62,690	50,522
Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 240,100	$ 217,545	$ 707,315	$ 613,365

Business Segment Information _3

Business Segment Information - Summary of Geographic Sales Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 659,233	$ 593,784	$ 1,949,425	$ 1,578,707
China [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	115,886	115,666	346,030	252,713
Japan [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	44,293	44,779	139,702	131,098
Asia Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	94,423	75,737	268,359	219,660
Total Asia [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	254,602	236,182	754,091	603,471
United States [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	194,776	172,267	544,124	465,093
Americas Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	36,225	27,180	109,128	81,312
Total Americas [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	231,001	199,447	653,252	546,405
Europe [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 173,630	$ 158,155	$ 542,082	$ 428,831

Business Segment Information _4

Business Segment Information - Summary of Net Sales by Customer Class (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 659,233	$ 593,784	$ 1,949,425	$ 1,578,707
Pharmaceutical [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Total net sales	398,338	343,001	1,175,191	926,582
Industrial [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Total net sales	196,032	179,128	581,884	474,592
Academic and government [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 64,863	$ 71,655	$ 192,350	$ 177,533

Business Segment Information _5

Business Segment Information - Summary of Net Sales of Company Recognized at a Point in Time Versus Over Time (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 02, 2021	Sep. 26, 2020
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 659,233	$ 593,784	$ 1,949,425	$ 1,578,707
Chemistry Consumables [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	123,045	108,175	368,478	300,525
Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	240,100	217,545	707,315	613,365
Net Sales Recognized at a Point in Time: [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	504,226	468,384	1,495,322	1,204,096
Net Sales Recognized at a Point in Time: [Member] | Instrument Systems [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	296,088	268,064	873,632	664,817
Net Sales Recognized at a Point in Time: [Member] | Chemistry Consumables [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	123,045	108,175	368,478	300,525
Net Sales Recognized at a Point in Time: [Member] | Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	85,093	92,145	253,212	238,754
Net Sales Recognized Over Time: [Member] | Service [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total net sales	$ 155,007	$ 125,400	$ 454,103	$ 374,611