Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

BENEFIT PLANS [Abstract]

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures

	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2011			2010			2011			2010
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	125,340		$	119,930		$	661,029		$	600,063		$	14,608		$	14,509
Service cost, gross	331			264			27,194			22,719			304			295
Interest cost	6,422			6,439			24,637			22,438			731			757
Actuarial losses (gains)	20,596			4,661			33,834			4,815			(1,971		)	5
Plan amendments and other	—			—			(444		)	(123		)	558			—
Benefits paid	(6,197		)	(5,954		)	(22,482		)	(25,431		)	(973		)	(958		)
Impact of foreign currency	—			—			(6,265		)	36,548			—			—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	146,492		$	125,340		$	717,503		$	661,029		$	13,257		$	14,608
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	97,040		$	86,801		$	667,124		$	580,273		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets	(3,004		)	11,135			(13,604		)	29,400			—			—
Employer contributions	65			5,058			22,197			18,944			875			1,135
Plan participants’ contributions	—			—			13,290			9,903			98			103
Benefits paid	(6,197		)	(5,954		)	(23,217		)	(25,431		)	(973		)	(1,238		)
Impact of foreign currency and other	—			—			(664		)	54,035			—			—
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	87,904		$	97,040		$	665,126		$	667,124		$	—		$	—
Funded status	$	(58,588	)	$	(28,300	)	$	(52,377	)	$	6,095		$	(13,257	)	$	(14,608	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2011			2010			2011			2010
Other non-current assets	$	—		$	—		$	52,660		$	107,173		$	—		$	—
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	(58,588		)	(28,300		)	(105,037		)	(101,078		)	(13,257		)	(14,608		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (income)	89,956			63,958			95,686			17,366			(9,635		)	(8,814		)
Net amount recognized	$	31,368		$	35,658		$	43,309		$	23,461		$	(22,892	)	$	(23,422	)

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Cost Not yet Recognized

	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
Prior service cost, net	$	—	$	12,126	$	457
Actuarial losses (gains)	89,956		83,560		(10,092		)
Total	$	89,956	$	95,686	$	(9,635	)

Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Postemployment Benefit Obligations

	U.S. Pension Benefits			Non-U.S. Pension Benefits			Other Benefits
Net actuarial losses (gains)	$	31,101		$	82,427		$	(1,971	)
Prior service cost	—			—			457
Amortization of:
Actuarial losses (gains)	(5,103		)	(845		)	693
Prior service cost	—			1,271			—
Impact of foreign currency	—			(4,533		)	—
	$	25,998		$	78,320		$	(821	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Benefit Obligation

	U.S.						Non-U.S.
	2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009
Discount rate	4.25	%	5.25	%	5.50	%	3.10	%	3.60	%	3.90	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		n/a		1.75	%	2.20	%	2.20	%

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Pension Cost

	U.S.						Non-U.S.
	2011		2010		2009		2011		2010		2009
Discount rate	5.25	%	5.50	%	6.25	%	3.60	%	3.90	%	3.95	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		n/a		1.75	%	2.20	%	2.25	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	8.00	%	8.25	%	8.25	%	4.81	%	5.20	%	5.15	%

Schedule of Net Pension Costs

	U.S.									Non-U.S.
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Service cost, net	$	331		$	264		$	183		$	26,703		$	12,819		$	16,552
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	6,422			6,439			6,782			24,637			22,438			21,610
Expected return on plan assets	(7,499		)	(6,906		)	(6,842		)	(47,350		)	(29,354		)	(26,440		)
Recognition of actuarial losses/(gains)	5,103			5,297			4,659			(339		)	(198		)	(324		)
Recognition of settlement/curtailment losses (gains)	—			—			—			—			59			(550		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	4,357		$	5,094		$	4,782		$	3,651		$	5,764		$	10,848

Schedule of Net Postretirement Costs

	2011			2010			2009
Service cost	$	304		$	295		$	381
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	731			757			1,120
Net amortization and deferral	(692		)	(1,406		)	(1,286		)
Net periodic post-retirement benefit (credit)/cost	$	343		$	(354	)	$	215

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to be Recognized over Next Fiscal Year

	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits			Other Benefits
Prior service cost, net	$	—	$	(1,484	)	$	86
Actuarial losses (gains)	7,664		2,522			(840		)
Total	$	7,664	$	1,038		$	(754	)

Schedule of Effect of One-Percentage-Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates

	One-Percentage-Point Increase		One-Percentage-Point Decrease
Effect on total of service and interest cost components	$	94	$	(84	)
Effect on post-retirement benefit obligation	$	999	$	(896	)

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Observable Inputs for Identical Assets (Level 2)		Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Observable Inputs for Identical Assets (Level 2)		Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Asset Category:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	96,071	$	—	$	—	$	96,071	$	106,166	$	—	$	—	$	106,166
Equity Securities:
Mettler-Toledo Stock	3,725		—		—		3,725		3,827		—		—		3,827
Equity Mutual Funds:
U.S.(1)	30,923		20,149		—		51,072		30,820		19,786		—		50,606
International(2)	37,565		40,693		—		78,258		44,648		44,879		—		89,527
Emerging Markets(3)	31,712		4,333		—		36,045		31,253		5,995		—		37,248
Fixed Income Securities:
Corporate/Government	62,041		—		—		62,041		59,318		—		—		59,318
Bonds(4)
Fixed Income Mutual Funds:
Insurance Contracts(5)	—		15,208		1,661		16,869		—		14,412		1,556		15,968
Core Bond(6)	132,430		32,231		—		164,661		175,754		31,069		—		206,823
Real Asset Mutual Funds:
Real Estate(7)	65,021		—		—		65,021		30,190		27,001		—		57,191
Commodities(8)	24,582		4,258		21,816		50,656		—		12,882		20,836		33,718
Other Types of Investments:
Global Allocation Funds(9)	28,555		7,040		—		35,595		24,420		8,709		—		33,129
Multi-Strategy Fund of	—		—		78,650		78,650		—		—		56,398		56,398
Hedge Funds(10)
Convertible Preferred	—		—		14,366		14,366		—		—		14,245		14,245
Equity Certificates(11)
	$	512,625	$	123,912	$	116,493	$	753,030	$	506,396	$	164,733	$	93,035	$	764,164

Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation

	Multi- Strategy Fund of Hedge Funds			Equity Long/Short Fund of Hedge Funds			Commodities			Insurance Contract			Convertible Preferred Equity Certificates			Total
Balance at December 31, 2009	$	23,064		$	5,299		$	—		$	2,114		$	12,909		$	43,386
Actual return on plan assets:
Related to assets held at end of year	(3,675		)	—			(720		)	(86		)	—			(4,481		)
Related to assets sold during the year	308			(206		)	—			1			—			103
Purchases and (sales)	34,239			(5,450		)	20,874			(314		)	—			49,349
Impact of foreign currency	2,462			357			682			(159		)	1,336			4,678
Balance at December 31, 2010	$	56,398		$	—		$	20,836		$	1,556		$	14,245		$	93,035
Actual return on plan assets:
Related to assets held at end of year	2,704			—			987			34			669			4,394
Related to assets sold during the year	112			—			—			3			—			115
Purchases and (sales)	20,606			—			—			114			(563		)	20,157
Impact of foreign currency	(1,170		)	—			(7		)	(46		)	15			(1,208		)
Balance at December 31, 2011	$	78,650		$	—		$	21,816		$	1,661		$	14,366		$	116,493

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits		Other Benefits Net of Subsidy
2012	$	6,324	$	39,487	$	1,021
2013	6,631		39,366		1,001
2014	6,908		40,374		1,027
2015	7,147		40,935		1,015
2016	7,403		42,334		983
2017-2021	41,765		217,907		4,973