I'm looking at the shape of the lugs. Those "hips". I'm checking ads for similar case style. And checking other watch records for time period. Perhaps something other than a Bulvoa 23- a model with 23 jewels called ? What year in our ad database does the first advertised "Bulova 23" appear?
I found this 1954 ad
Ad states "New" and doesn't indicate any letter variant. Has the "sunburst" dial. ...and different case shape. I guess 1954 rolled out the 23 jewel movement:
1955 ad below shows same case as subject watch. Offered w/ three "variants" available, but doesn't specify letter variant for choices. "sunburst dial not evident in pic below, but doesn't mean it's just an artist rendering issue. I don't believe the term "sunburst dial" was used for subject watch or ads as early as 1954/55, but termed a little later in collector circles and used in retrospect.
Now what year do we first see 23 Jewels printed on dials or in ads? Not much earlier, if I remember correctly.
Subject watch passes muster for confirmed Bulova 23 - IMO. Shawkey (2010) states several early 23 had choice of charcoal and/or black dial. May or may not have had seperate letter variant advertised as such for these two choices, but had to have some way of ordering w/ charcoal dial choice.