Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures



	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits						Total
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	130,202		$	142,571		$	864,095		$	918,478		$	2,186		$	2,673		$	996,483		$	1,063,722
Service cost, gross	1,063			1,090			30,665			30,721			—			—			31,728			31,811
Interest cost	4,585			4,242			10,192			8,630			64			66			14,841			12,938
Actuarial losses (gains)	14,449			(10,019		)	84,262			(40,469		)	(129		)	(167		)	98,582			(50,655		)
Plan amendments and other	—			—			—			974			(576		)	(8		)	(576		)	966
Benefits paid	(7,849		)	(7,682		)	(38,181		)	(36,379		)	(250		)	(378		)	(46,280		)	(44,439		)
Impact of foreign currency	—			—			10,230			(17,860		)	—			—			10,230			(17,860		)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	142,450		$	130,202		$	961,263		$	864,095		$	1,295		$	2,186		$	1,105,008		$	996,483
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	95,541		$	111,567		$	767,410		$	808,215		$	—		$	—		$	862,951		$	919,782
Actual return on plan assets	15,037			(8,419		)	76,732			(34,102		)	—			—			91,769			(42,521		)
Employer contributions	83			75			25,323			26,032			250			227			25,656			26,334
Plan participants’ contributions	—			—			15,130			15,176			—			151			15,130			15,327
Benefits paid	(7,849		)	(7,682		)	(38,181		)	(36,379		)	(250		)	(378		)	(46,280		)	(44,439		)
Impact of foreign currency and other	—			—			15,548			(11,532		)	—			—			15,548			(11,532		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	102,812		$	95,541		$	861,962		$	767,410		$	—		$	—		$	964,774		$	862,951
Funded status	$	(39,638	)	$	(34,661	)	$	(99,301	)	$	(96,685	)	$	(1,295	)	$	(2,186	)	$	(140,234	)	$	(133,532	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet



	U.S. Pension Benefits						Non-U.S. Pension Benefits						Other Benefits						Total
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Other non-current assets	$	—		$	—		$	44,536		$	46,014		$	—		$	—		$	44,536		$	46,014
Accrued and other liabilities	(126		)	(110		)	(5,023		)	(4,884		)	(239		)	(431		)	(5,388		)	(5,425		)
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	(39,512		)	(34,551		)	(138,813		)	(137,815		)	(1,057		)	(1,755		)	(179,382		)	(174,121		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (income)	64,269			61,344			286,370			260,820			(924		)	(910		)	349,715			321,254
Total	$	24,631		$	26,683		$	187,070		$	164,135		$	(2,220	)	$	(3,096	)	$	209,481		$	187,722

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	$	—	$	(15,925	)	$	(576	)	$	(16,501	)	$	(13,041	)
Actuarial losses (gains)	64,269		302,295			(348		)	366,216			283,444
Total	$	64,269	$	286,370		$	(924	)	$	349,715		$	270,403

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)	$	5,299		$	36,692		$	(129	)	$	41,862		$	32,699
Plan amendment	—			—			(576		)	(576		)	(430		)
Amortization of:
Actuarial (losses) gains	(2,374		)	(20,505		)	691			(22,188		)	(17,594		)
Plan amendments and prior service cost	—			6,721			—			6,721			5,450
Impact of foreign currency	—			2,642			—			2,642			2,108
Total	$	2,925		$	25,550		$	(14	)	$	28,461		$	22,233

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Benefit Obligation



	U.S.				Non-U.S.
	2019		2018		2019		2018
Discount rate	3.03	%	4.11	%	0.51	%	1.22	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		0.86	%	0.87	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	6.25	%	6.50	%	3.76	%	3.84	%

Schedule of Assumptions Used in Computing Pension Cost



	U.S.						Non-U.S.
	2019		2018		2017		2019		2018		2017
Discount rate	4.11	%	3.49	%	3.97	%	1.22	%	0.97	%	0.98	%
Compensation increase rate	n/a		n/a		n/a		0.87	%	0.87	%	0.85	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	6.50	%	6.50	%	6.75	%	3.84	%	3.86	%	4.09	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

Net periodic pension cost and net periodic post-retirement benefit for the defined benefit plans and U.S. post-retirement plan include the following components for the years ended December 31:



	U.S.									Non-U.S.									Other Benefits									Total
	2019			2018			2017			2019			2018			2017			2019			2018			2017			2019			2018			2017
Service cost, net	$	1,063		$	1,090		$	565		$	15,534		$	15,545		$	16,341		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	16,597		$	16,635		$	16,906
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	4,585			4,242			4,374			10,192			8,630			8,511			64			66			70			14,841			12,938			12,955
Expected return on plan assets	(5,887		)	(6,929		)	(6,737		)	(29,162		)	(31,005		)	(30,349		)	—			—			—			(35,049		)	(37,934		)	(37,086		)
Recognition of actuarial losses/(gains) and prior service costs	2,374			5,804			6,556			13,784			14,575			16,247			(691		)	(1,623		)	(2,674		)	15,467			18,756			20,129
Net periodic pension cost / (benefit)	$	2,135		$	4,207		$	4,758		$	10,348		$	7,745		$	10,750		$	(627	)	$	(1,557	)	$	(2,604	)	$	11,856		$	10,395		$	12,904

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	$	—	$	(6,904	)	$	(75	)	$	(6,979	)
Actuarial losses (gains)	2,578		22,694			(28		)	25,244
Total	$	2,578	$	15,790		$	(103	)	$	18,265

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets



	December 31, 2019								December 31, 2018
	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	$	104,144	$	—	$	—	$	104,144	$	111,484	$	—	$	—	$	111,484
Equity Securities:
Mettler-Toledo Stock	2,620		—		—		2,620		2,436		—		—		2,436
Equity Mutual Funds:
U.S.⁽¹⁾	7,245		29,885		—		37,130		4,989		22,569		—		27,558
International⁽²⁾	62,569		53,188		—		115,757		68,544		45,892		—		114,436
Emerging Markets⁽³⁾	110,972		822		—		111,794		95,146		692		—		95,838
Fixed Income Securities:
Corporate/Government Bonds⁽⁴⁾	84,020		—		—		84,020		71,644		—		—		71,644
Fixed Income Mutual Funds:
Insurance Contracts⁽⁵⁾	—		37,459		1,486		38,945		—		22,852		1,461		24,313
Core Bond⁽⁶⁾	116,629		61,960		—		178,589		95,493		54,448		—		149,941
Real Asset Mutual Funds:
Real Estate⁽⁷⁾	95,580		14,185		—		109,765		83,879		13,838		—		97,717
Commodities⁽⁸⁾	47,697		—		—		47,697		40,267		—		—		40,267
Other Types of Investments:
Debt Securities ⁽⁹⁾	39,275		—		—		39,275		38,616		—		—		38,616
Global Allocation Funds⁽¹⁰⁾	12,269		—		—		12,269		11,195		10,562		—		21,757
Insurance Linked Securities⁽¹¹⁾	18,434		—		—		18,434		18,664		—		—		18,664
Total assets in fair value hierarchy	$	701,454	$	197,499	$	1,486	$	900,439	$	642,357	$	170,853	$	1,461	$	814,671
Investments measured at net asset value:
International⁽²⁾							3,288								2,792
Emerging Markets ⁽³⁾							6,650								4,889
Multi-Strategy Fund of Hedge Funds ⁽¹²⁾							54,397								40,599
Total pension assets at fair value							$	964,774							$	862,951

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



	Insurance Contracts
Balance at December 31, 2017	$	1,514
Actual return on plan assets related to assets held at end of year	14
Sales	(85		)
Purchases	82
Impact of foreign currency	(64		)
Balance at December 31, 2018	$	1,461
Actual return on plan assets related to assets held at end of year	14
Sales	(54		)
Purchases	83
Impact of foreign currency	(18		)
Balance at December 31, 2019	$	1,486

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments



	U.S. Pension Benefits		Non-U.S. Pension Benefits		Other Benefits Net of Subsidy		Total
2020	$	8,247	$	44,024	$	239	$	52,510
2021	8,427		45,587		191		54,205
2022	8,549		44,554		146		53,249
2023	8,700		45,206		120		54,026
2024	8,776		46,141		106		55,023
2025-2029	43,317		224,446		371		268,134