Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	$ 535,701us-gaap_Revenues	$ 550,621us-gaap_Revenues
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	0	0
Total net sales	535,701us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	550,621us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Segment Profit	97,306mtd_SegmentProfitInformation	90,953mtd_SegmentProfitInformation
Goodwill	437,704us-gaap_Goodwill	456,942us-gaap_Goodwill	444,085us-gaap_Goodwill
Us Operations segment Member
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	178,220	163,994
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	18,292	20,775
Total net sales	196,512	184,769
Segment profit	24,226	21,637
Goodwill	308,863	307,933
Swiss Operations segment Member
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	31,224	33,006
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	99,783	108,225
Total net sales	131,007	141,231
Segment profit	36,570	32,228
Goodwill	22,507	24,420
Western European Operations [Member]
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	142,076	160,567
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	27,361	29,438
Total net sales	169,437	190,005
Segment profit	20,341	20,876
Goodwill	92,430	109,056
Chinese Operations [Member]
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	86,449	91,621
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	43,505	35,544
Total net sales	129,954	127,165
Segment profit	33,236	31,796
Goodwill	744	738
Other Operations [Member]
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	97,732	101,433
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	1,357	1,135
Total net sales	99,089	102,568
Segment profit	8,982	9,159
Goodwill	13,160	14,795
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Operations of the Company's operating segments
Net Sales to External Customers	0	0
Revenue Transactions With Other Operating Segments	(190,298)	(195,117)
Total net sales	(190,298)	(195,117)
Segment profit	(26,049)	(24,743)
Goodwill	$ 0	$ 0

Amount of segment profit recorded during the period.

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+ References

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Identification, description, and amounts of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total profit or loss from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated income before income taxes, extraordinary items, and discontinued operations.

+ References

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Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

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Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)

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