William V (29 September 1548 – 7 February 1626), called the Pious, (German: Wilhelm V., der Fromme, Herzog von Bayern) was the duke of Bavaria from 1579 to 1597.

William V's residence as crown prince was the ancient fortified Wittelsbach seat Trausnitz Castle, which he renovated extensively between 1568 and 1578.

The Automaton was crafted in the Free Imperial City of Augsburg by the jeweler Valentin Drausch and the clockmaker Hans Schlottheim.

William V's spending on Church-related projects, including funding missionaries outside Bavaria—as far away as Asia and the Americas—put tremendous strain on the Bavarian treasury.

The Italian confidence man Marco Bragadino who was promising to make copious amounts of gold to erase the Dukes's debts was called upon by William V in 1590, and executed after he had failed.

William V abdicated on 15 October 1597 in favour of his son, Maximilian I and retired into a monastery where he spent the remainder of his life in contemplation and prayer.