Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

BENEFIT PLANS [Abstract]

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures

	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits						Total
	2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	156,804		$	146,492		$	798,657		$	717,503		$	11,267		$	13,257		$	966,728		$	877,252
Service cost, gross	494			455			30,315			27,312			216			333			31,025			28,100
Interest cost	5,755			6,093			19,566			22,104			405			539			25,726			28,736
Actuarial losses (gains)	(18,226		)	10,184			(11,477		)	68,807			(1,988		)	(2,059		)	(31,691		)	76,932
Plan amendments and other	—			—			293			(21,915		)	(3,733		)	75			(3,440		)	(21,840		)
Benefits paid	(6,680		)	(6,420		)	(43,271		)	(36,861		)	(872		)	(878		)	(50,823		)	(44,159		)
Impact of foreign currency	—			—			20,117			21,707			—			—			20,117			21,707
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	138,147		$	156,804		$	814,200		$	798,657		$	5,295		$	11,267		$	957,642		$	966,728
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	94,734		$	87,904		$	731,040		$	665,126		$	—		$	—		$	825,774		$	753,030
Actual return on plan assets	12,073			9,501			42,480			47,797			—			—			54,553			57,298
Employer contributions	17,776			3,749			25,147			22,309			723			803			43,646			26,861
Plan participants’ contributions	—			—			13,255			12,315			149			75			13,404			12,390
Benefits paid	(6,680		)	(6,420		)	(43,271		)	(36,861		)	(872		)	(878		)	(50,823		)	(44,159		)
Impact of foreign currency and other	—			—			17,881			20,354			—			—			17,881			20,354
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	117,903		$	94,734		$	786,532		$	731,040		$	—		$	—		904,435			825,774
Funded status	$	(20,244	)	$	(62,070	)	$	(27,668	)	$	(67,617	)	$	(5,295	)	$	(11,267	)	$	(53,207	)	$	(140,954	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits						Total
	2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
Other non-current assets	$	—		$	—		$	105,132		$	64,183		$	—		$	—		$	105,132		$	64,183
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	(20,244		)	(62,070		)	(132,800		)	(131,800		)	(5,295		)	(11,267		)	(158,339		)	(205,137		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (income)	59,013			89,940			110,965			130,776			(15,910		)	(10,941		)	154,068			209,775
Total	$	38,769		$	27,870		$	83,297		$	63,159		$	(21,205	)	$	(22,208	)	$	100,861		$	68,821

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Cost Not yet Recognized

	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits			Other Benefits			Total			Total, After Tax
Plan amendments and prior service cost	$	—	$	(25,137	)	$	(3,598	)	$	(28,735	)	$	(22,413	)
Actuarial losses (gains)	59,013		136,102			(12,312		)	182,803			132,931
Total	$	59,013	$	110,965		$	(15,910	)	$	154,068		$	110,518

Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Postemployment Benefit Obligations

	U.S. Pension Benefits			Non-U.S. Pension Benefits			Other Benefits			Total			Total, After Tax
Net actuarial losses (gains)	$	(23,145	)	$	(18,795	)	$	(1,988	)	$	(43,928	)	$	(30,381	)
Plan amendments and prior service cost, net	—			17			(3,882		)	(3,865		)	(2,371		)
Amortization of:
Actuarial (losses) gains	(7,782		)	(7,398		)	988			(14,192		)	(9,821		)
Plan amendments and prior service cost	—			3,853			(87		)	3,766			3,046
Impact of foreign currency	—			2,512			—			2,512			2,010
Total	$	(30,927	)	$	(19,811	)	$	(4,969	)	$	(55,707	)	$	(37,517	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Benefit Obligation

	U.S.						Non-U.S.
	2013		2012		2011		2013		2012		2011
Discount rate	4.75	%	3.75	%	4.25	%	2.73	%	2.50	%	3.10	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		n/a		1.61	%	1.60	%	1.75	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.50	%	7.75	%	8.00	%	4.87	%	4.89	%	4.80	%

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Pension Cost

	U.S.						Non-U.S.
	2013		2012		2011		2013		2012		2011
Discount rate	3.75	%	4.25	%	5.25	%	2.50	%	3.10	%	3.60	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		n/a		1.60	%	1.75	%	2.20	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.75	%	8.00	%	8.00	%	4.89	%	4.80	%	4.94	%

Schedule of Net Pension Costs

	U.S.									Non-U.S.
	2013			2012			2011			2013			2012			2011
Service cost, net	$	494		$	455		$	331		$	17,386		$	15,011		$	13,699
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	5,755			6,093			6,422			19,566			22,104			24,637
Expected return on plan assets	(7,154		)	(6,965		)	(7,499		)	(35,048		)	(32,989		)	(34,325		)
Recognition of actuarial losses/(gains) and prior service costs	7,782			7,664			5,103			3,545			210			(339		)
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,877		$	7,247		$	4,357		$	5,449		$	4,336		$	3,672

Schedule of Net Postretirement Costs

	2013			2012			2011
Service cost	$	216		$	333		$	304
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	405			539			731
Net amortization and deferral	(901		)	(753		)	(692		)
Net periodic post-retirement benefit (credit)/cost	$	(280	)	$	119		$	343

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			Total
Plan amendments and prior service costs	$	—	$	(3,941	)	$	(779	)	$	(4,720	)
Actuarial losses (gains)	4,845		4,246			(1,436		)	7,655
Total	$	4,845	$	305		$	(2,215	)	$	2,935

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	$	56	$	(50	)
Effect on post-retirement benefit obligation	$	208	$	(190	)

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

	December 31, 2013								December 31, 2012
	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	$	129,932	$	—	$	—	$	129,932	$	141,020	$	—	$	—	$	141,020
Equity Securities:
Mettler-Toledo Stock	3,425		—		—		3,425		3,284		—		—		3,284
Equity Mutual Funds:
U.S.(1)	5,960		27,652		—		33,612		25,880		21,268		—		47,148
International(2)	44,149		54,120		—		98,269		37,982		46,312		—		84,294
Emerging Markets(3)	78,392		5,773		—		84,165		36,449		5,704		—		42,153
Fixed Income Securities:
Corporate/Government	129,155		—		—		129,155		66,331		—		—		66,331
Bonds(4)
Fixed Income Mutual Funds:
Insurance Contracts(5)	—		24,633		1,475		26,108		—		23,015		1,726		24,741
Core Bond(6)	146,857		36,327		—		183,184		147,853		35,980		—		183,833
Real Asset Mutual Funds:
Real Estate(7)	66,431		—		—		66,431		62,172		—		—		62,172
Commodities(8)	23,293		3,323		23,136		49,752		30,976		3,775		22,986		57,737
Other Types of Investments:
Global Allocation Funds(9)	12,002		11,088		—		23,090		29,504		8,572		—		38,076
Multi-Strategy Fund of	—		—		77,312		77,312		—		—		74,985		74,985
Hedge Funds(10)
	$	639,596	$	162,916	$	101,923	$	904,435	$	581,451	$	144,626	$	99,697	$	825,774

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

	Multi- Strategy Fund of Hedge Funds			Commodities			Insurance Contract			Convertible Preferred Equity Certificates			Total
Balance at December 31, 2011	$	78,650		$	21,816		$	1,661		$	14,366		$	116,493
Actual return on plan assets:
Related to assets held at end of year	1,099			533			31			—			1,663
Related to assets sold during the year	317			—			3			2,240			2,560
Purchases	8,638			—			161			—			8,799
Sales	(15,418		)	—			(165		)	(16,636		)	(32,219		)
Impact of foreign currency	1,699			637			35			30			2,401
Balance at December 31, 2012	$	74,985		$	22,986		$	1,726		$	—		$	99,697
Actual return on plan assets:
Related to assets held at end of year	1,420			(449		)	69			—			1,040
Purchases	11,792			—			127			—			11,919
Sales	(12,691		)	—			(519		)	—			(13,210		)
Impact of foreign currency	1,806			599			72			—			2,477
Balance at December 31, 2013	$	77,312		$	23,136		$	1,475		$	—		$	101,923

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits		Other Benefits Net of Subsidy		Total
2014	$	7,082	$	43,703	$	508	$	51,293
2015	7,268		42,903		510		50,681
2016	7,489		44,259		491		52,239
2017	7,842		45,016		493		53,351
2018	8,129		44,480		499		53,108
2019-2023	44,543		224,801		2,516		271,860